Fall camp for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish is already underway, as the Fighting Irish look to improve on last year's 10-3 record. The Irish want to make to the College Football Playoffs, but do have some question marks, especially on defense. Head coach Brian Kelly has recruited well at Notre Dame, but the Irish will still be counting on several unproven players to play key roles in 2016.
That makes fall camp critical for getting those players up to speed and ready to play. With that in mind, here are the latest fall camp news and notes for Notre Dame Football.
QB Battle
In terms of QB1 and QB2, there might no be a better situation in college football than at Notre Dame. There's Malik Zaire, who looked great before getting hurt last year. There's also DeShone Kizer, who looked just as good after taking over for Zaire. There's a starting QB battle this fall and it's anyone's guess as to who will start. Both are Heisman-caliber QBs, and Notre Dame can't really go wrong picking one. There's little separation between the two and Notre Dame won't rush a decision.
Right Guard Position Battle
In a less sexy position battle, there's the situation at right guard. The other four spots are set, but Tristen Hoge, Colin McGovern, Hunter Bivin and true freshman Tommy Kraemer are all pushing for the the starting gig. However, the battle has apparently been narrowed down to two.
For those that don't want to watch the video, here's the most important piece of what Kelly said: the Irish are focusing on Hoge and McGovern. Bivin, a senior, and Kraemer have been moved outside, although Kraemer could kick back inside at some point. As for which one will win the starting job, that's still unclear. Hoge is the more athletic, but still a bit raw. McGovern, a senior, has been in the system longer than Hoge, who is only a sophomore.
Daelin Hayes Ready To Make An Impact
Hayes enrolled early this year, but an injury robbed him of most of spring practice. However, the four-star OLB and No. 133 overall recruit will play early.
“Daelin can do a little bit more,” Kelly said. “He is not as stout, but he pretty athletic and will be in our speed package. When we get into our speed package, Daelin is getting a lot of work there.”
That speed package will be the Irish's third down look. So Hayes will have a situation role, mostly as a pass rusher. That's where he'll be able to use his speed to his advantage. Hayes will serve as a 4-3 DE and 3-4 OLB hybrid this year.
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