INSIDE SLANT
Charlie Weis is keeping an air of mystery surrounding one of the most intriguing position battles in all of college football.
He kicked the tires on four inexperienced quarterbacks this spring; one of them will get a chance to replace golden-armed Brady Quinn. But first, Weis wants to pare the list to two.
After spring ball, Weis had recruiting to attend to, but he identified his top three candidates at the end of May. The decision doesn't mean the others are history, it's just that he wants to give the position focus ... and, hey, somebody has to end up getting the majority of the reps in the fall.
"You just set up an equal plan, very logistically laid out, and let everyone know this is what the plan is going to be," Weis said.
The odd man out in the four-man battle royale was Zach Frazer, who redshirted last year and announced in early June that he planned to transfer, likely to an East Coast school.
Junior Evan Sharpley is the only contender who has taken snaps in college; he had been the little-used backup to Quinn. His strength: He has been in this system the longest.
Demetrius Jones also was a redshirt last year after arriving with loads of prep press clippings. Jones is the best athlete of the group, but doesn't lack for confidence.
Then there is Jimmy Clausen, considered in some circles as the top recruit of the class of 2007. Weis kept him off-limits to the media this spring and Clausen underwent an undisclosed procedure on his right elbow in June which may, or may not, impact him in the fall.
"The first thing is as a head coach is you don't create prima donnas. That's very, very important," Weis said.
The field has been reduced. Eventually, one of these guys will become a very big man on campus.
NOTES, QUOTES
— Tom Zbikowski, returning for a fifth year, gave up his boxing career after a March charity exhibition. After a somewhat disappointing junior season, he seems more focused than ever on excelling in football.
— QB Zach Frazer reportedly contacted Miami (Fla.), Louisville and Rutgers among others after receiving permission from coach Charlie weis and Notre Dame to transfer. Frazer ended spring practice as the odd man out in what started in a four-man QB derby but was narrowed to three.
— Multiple media outlets reported that stud recruit Jimmy Clausen, in the running for the starting quarterback job this spring, underwent a surgical procedure on his right (throwing) elbow in June. Clausen was injured in high school and his father, Jim Clausen Sr., was quoted in the Chicago Sun-Times saying that his son played with a great deal of discomfort as a high school senior.
— Notre Dame coaching legends Ara Parseghian and Lou Holtz coached the teams in the spring Blue-Gold Game. Holtz's players, who won, celebrated by dumping Gatorade on him.
"You don't throw Gatorade on a guy at 70 years old in a spring game when it's not expected," Holtz said. "I could have had a heart attack and sued Notre Dame for a lot of money."
SPRING MOVERS:
RB Travis Thomas — He's back at running back for his final season after being a starting outside linebacker last year. His experience gives him an edge, but Notre Dame has other good candidates at the position.
RB Junior Jabbie — Don't forget about this kid. A converted cornerback, he was the star of the spring game and earned heaps of praise from coach Charlie Weis. He's never stopped working hard, and, at the least, will keep pushing Travis Thomas, James Aldridge and Armando Allen to get better.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "In the last two years I think too many times we counted on No. 10 (Brady Quinn) winning the game for us. Well, guess what? No. 10 is not here anymore. So we are going to have to learn how to play complementary football, and that means the offense, defense and special teams are going to have to learn better how to play off each other to win games." — Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
2007 OUTLOOK: Notre Dame can't be expected to get to the BCS again this season. A big wave of Tyrone Willingham's best recruits are gone, and many of Charlie Weis' talented prospects are still pups. The future is bright, and the Irish are bowl-worthy, but this figures to be the lull before expectations are elevated again.
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: There will be nothing fundamentally different about Weis' offense schematically, but the emphasis should be more on the running game and the use of all-star TE John Carlson. The quarterback and the starting wide receivers are new, so the running game likely will serve as the lead element this season.
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: Going to a 3-4 look this season, the Irish need to become more dynamic and athletic, which will be hard to do with DE Victor Abiamiri and DT Derek Landri gone. They accounted for much of the Notre Dame pass rush with 17 1/2 sacks last season. Tom Zbikowski is back at safety and Maurice Crum (four sacks last season) a veteran who needs to have a big year while young guys, such as corner Darrin Walls, continue to develop. Other young guys to watch: sophomore OLB Morrice Richardson, who could ad some pass-rushing punch, and NG Chris Stewart.
SCOUTING THE SPECIAL TEAMS: The Irish are set at punter with Geoff Price, who averaged 45.4 yards per attempt last season. The kicking situation isn't as bright, with Carl Gioia returning after making 8 of 13 attempts. He did not make a kick of longer than 40 yards. Zbikowski is a home-run threat on punt returns, and David Grimes averaged 24.5 yards on his kick returns last year.
ROSTER REPORT: FB Asaph Schwapp is back after playing in only two games last season because of a knee injury. He is a powerful lead blocker who adds a needed presence to the offense this season.
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