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Notre Dame Football: Top Fighting Irish Stars to Watch for This Season

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will enter the 2012 college football season as the No. 24-ranked team in the nation, and that’s not by chance.

Notre Dame boasts some notable talents this coming season and will look to ride them to another solid year and bowl game appearance.

Without further ado, here are the top Notre Dame stars to watch for in 2012.

Manti Te’o

Linebacker Manti Te’o returns for his senior season with the Fighting Irish and will undoubtedly be the heart and soul of Notre Dame’s defense in 2012.

Te'o has more than 260 tackles over the last two seasons and will be a coveted prospect in next spring's 2013 NFL draft.

At 6'2″, 255 pounds, Te'o boasts ideal size and strength for a linebacker, and he also offers the athleticism and quickness to make plays against both the run and pass.

Te'o has 23 tackles for a loss, six sacks and two forced fumbles dating back to his sophomore season in 2010. He'll be the Irish's top star to watch in 2012, without question.

Theo Riddick

Senior playmaker Theo Riddick will return to the Fighting Irish this season with a major hand in Notre Dame's offense. Riddick is a versatile star who can provide a lift at both running back and wide receiver.

The New Jersey native averaged 4.5 yards per carry on the ground in 2011 and caught 38 balls for 436 yards and three touchdowns.

Look for Riddick to play a significant number of snaps in the backfield, as senior Cierre Wood is Notre Dame’s only proven rusher coming into the 2012 season.

Tyler Eifert

The senior tight end returns to South Bend in 2012 to help provide some stability to Notre Dame’s passing attack this season.

Eifert caught 63 passes for 803 yards and five touchdowns in 2011, and is one of the best, if not the best, pass-catchers on the Fighting Irish’s roster now that Michael Floyd has gone to the NFL.

The 6'6″, 250-pound offensive weapon led the team in yards per catch last season as well, averaging 12.7 yards per reception.

Eifert's big-play ability was put on display at Wake Forest when he reeled in a 38-yard touchdown catch against the Demon Deacons.

Be sure not to miss No. 80 on the field in 2012. Regardless of how the quarterback situation turns out in South Bend, Eifert is sure to be making must-see plays down the field.

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter All Season Long For More College Football Reaction and Analysis.

Read more Notre Dame Football news on BleacherReport.com

Notre Dame Football 2012: Tommy Rees Proves Why Keeping Him off Field Is Tough

When Tommy Rees was arrested back towards the start of May, we thought it might make the Fighting Irish quarterback race a two-man game.

When he was reinstated to return to workouts, it seemed that perhaps the quarterback would be in the mix to start with Everett Golson and Andrew Hendrix.

Now, with the one game suspension handed down and the Fighting Irish in camp; Tommy Rees is still not in the mix to start, technically. The South Bend Tribune reports that the reps are being split between the Golson and Hendrix:

Junior Andrew Hendrix and Golson split roughly 80 percent of the reps, with Kiel gobbling up virtually all of the remaining ones — a pretty representative split by Kelly's estimation.

Rees is not even getting many reps at practice as the Fighting Irish prepare for their Dublin opener against the Navy Midshipmen. So no, the quarterback is not in the mix to start. At least not the opener.

However, reading a bit more of the Tribune’s practice notes will expose that Rees is still sitting in a position to wrestle the job back once he’s cleared to play in week two:

But for Hendrix, Rees is the go-to guy when he has questions about quarterback play. It has never crossed his mind to reach out to willing Irish legends at the position.

“There’s no one who knows this offense better than Tommy,” he said.

Rees is still in the catbird seat when it comes to knowing what he’s doing out there on the field. That mental edge might be all he needs to get back on the field over Hendrix or Golson; whichever wins the job to start the year.

While Everett Golson is the high-ceiling guy that many Irish fans are hoping wins the job; he is also the up-and down-electrifying athlete that will drive a coach crazy with big mistakes. Hendrix is a guy who got the job done at times a season ago but has still been truly unable to beat out Tommy Rees for the job.

Rees is proving himself invaluable, even without playing a major role in the battle. Brian Kelly has paired up Rees with Golson for training camp, and even Golson sings the praises of the suspended Irish quarterback:

“It is awkward,” Golson admitted of the stream of pointers Rees has offered. “And I praise Tommy for that, because honestly, I don't know if I could really do that. But Tommy is a great guy, going through what he had to go through.

“So many times we'll be talking in the room, and he'll be like, 'If you need anything, I'm here for you.' That's how it is for this whole unit. Though it's competition, we help each other out.”

Essentially, Tommy Rees is the veteran who knows the playbook backwards and forwards, and while Irish fans, and perhaps Brian Kelly, want the higher ceiling Everett Golson to win the gig; it is going to be something to watch from week two going forward.

While it is nice for Tommy Rees to get his teammates on the same page, he'll be proving his knowledge of the offense with reps once the Irish return from Dublin. Expect to see his comprehension of the system push him right back into starting contention soon enough.

Read more Notre Dame Football news on BleacherReport.com

Notre Dame Football: Quarterbacks, Brutal Schedule Will Make It a Long Season

Notre Dame’s football team has a lot of questions to answer this season, with the quarterback job still up for grabs and a brutal schedule awaiting the Fighting Irish. It’s shaping up to be a long season in South Bend.

As things currently stand, the quarterback spot is still shaping up to be a battle between Tommy Rees, Andrew Hendrix, Everett Golson and true freshman Gunner Kiel. I don’t believe that Kiel will actually be in the mix. After covering him as a high schooler, he still has a long way to go before he’s ready to take over for a major college program.

Rees has the most experience but hasn’t been terribly consistent during the past two seasons. He completed 65.5 percent of his passes in 2011 for 2,871 yards, with 20 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Rees has been suspended for the opening game of the 2012 season, but he could be the guy when he comes back.

Meanwhile, Hendrix has the combination of arm strength and running ability to run head coach Brian Kelly's system, and while Golson didn't didn't play last season, he has impressive dual-threat abilities.

What will make this season even more complicated for whoever is under center is the team's brutal schedule. The Irish will face Michigan, Michigan State, Miami, Stanford, Oklahoma and USC. That's a ridiculous slate of teams.

While eight wins isn’t usually considered a success in South Bend, that would likely be a big-time success for the Irish this year. There are just so many questions that need to be answered, and that schedule won’t leave time for this team to struggle at all.

Read more Notre Dame Football news on BleacherReport.com

Notre Dame Football: 5 Offenses That Will Give the Irish Trouble in 2012

Notre Dame’s defense has shown steady improvement since a rough final three years under Charlie Weis. The Irish allowed 26 points per game in Weis’ final season in 2009, but have trimmed that number to just over 20 in Brian Kelly’s first two seasons.

Despite the statistical improvement, the team wasn’t immune to significant lapses last season, including allowing 28 points in the fourth quarter in a loss to Michigan. The Irish defense held its own against USC’s Matt Barkley and Stanford’s Andrew Luck, but was unable to get critical stops to keep the team in the game.

The talent level is inching closer and closer to that of the nation’s elite teams, but with five starters gone plus Freshman All-American Aaron Lynch, Notre Dame finds itself with a number of concerns on the defensive side of the ball this season.

Those concerns, however, aren’t limited to just within its own locker room. They also come from the opposing offenses, most notably the five we are about to dissect.

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NCAA Football 2012: Goal-Line Cameras Should Be Games Next Tech Innovation

The Big Ten, following a spring trial run at Michigan and Michigan State, is looking to approve the use of goal-line cameras for the conference in 2012, Jon Solomon of The Birmingham News reports. With the use of instant replay, having a camera at the goal-line seems the next logical step, especially after watching critical plays decided by review of poor camera angles.
As the Big Ten coordinator of officials Bill, Carollo, puts it:
“We’d have to look and justify if we can do something like that,” Carollo said. “I’m interested in it because it’s the most important line on the field. It’s expensive. But a call at the goal line when we make a mistake is very expensive, too. You could have the wrong team winning.”
Carollo gets it right; the calls are too important to be missed. Winning and losing championships are at stake. Winning and losing spots in the BCS Rankings are at stake. Winning and losing the opportunity to go to a bowl game are at stake. When the stakes are that high, it is…

Continue reading at Bleacher Report – Big Ten Football

Notre Dame Football: Quarterback Picture Becoming Clearer

In reality, Tommy Rees did head coach Brian Kelly a favor.

Thanks largely to his disorderly conduct arrest in May, and subsequent Residential Life suspension from the opening game against Navy, Rees is not receiving first-team reps in the first week of Notre Dame’s fall preparatory camp practices.

Because of the suspension and the necessity to ready another QB to start in Dublin, Ireland on September 1st, Kelly is saved (most likely from himself) from feeling compelled to keep Rees in the rotation for first-team reps and keep him legitimately in the competition.

Also, seemingly dropping further behind (and probably headed to a redshirt) is true freshman Gunner Kiel, who, according to reports, is only “getting his feet wet” in the Notre Dame offense.

That leaves two.

Junior Andrew Hendrix and sophomore Everett Golson are left to battle for the starting nod and best chance to secure the reigns of the Irish offense for the near future.

Each player has several years of eligibility remaining—three for Hendrix, four for Golson including 2012. Each has an abundance of athletic talent that, if harnessed, would prove devastating to opposing defenses in Notre Dame's spread offense.

Each also has a lot to learn and extremely limited experience.

Tommy Rees is trying his best to fill in the blanks.

Maybe Rees saw this coming. Maybe this feels like a more graceful exit than simply being “replaced,” but credit is due to Rees for handling the transition as well as anyone could.

He could be sullen. He could withhold his knowledge in hopes of reclaiming the starting job as he did a year ago. Instead, he has become a sort of “coach in pads.”

He is constantly coaching up his “competitors,” always offering advise or constructive criticism, and is constantly offering answers to what must be an Einstein-level complex offense.

Mentally, Rees understands the game to a degree that surpasses the level at which his body can play. He is destined to coach football, and seems to have begun the transition already.

Whichever player ultimately prevails as the Irish signal-caller, having Rees’ knowledge behind them as an enthusiastic supporter will benefit both player and team.

Read more Notre Dame Football news on BleacherReport.com

College Football: 2013 Weekly Recruiting Roundup August 2-9

Thursday comes and of course, that means we have your weekly whip around the nation on the recruiting front. As teams get into camp things have slowed down a bit on the commitment side of things, but we’ve still got news. Recruiting never stops!

The topic on everyone’s mind has been Penn State and what happens with their roster. The transfers are slowly mounting, but those are not the only woes for Nittany Lions fans. Three members of the class of 2013 decommitted this week; the biggest of course being Dorian Johnson, the 5-star offensive lineman. Johnson reopened his commitment, with Pitt, Ohio State and Virginia Tech as his leaders.

William Fuller was another name on that Penn State list that defected this week. He left the Nittany Lions and opted for the comforts of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The other Penn State decommit, Zach Bradshaw, also found a new home quickly. Bradshaw, a wide receiver and linebacker, pledged to Mike London and the Virginia Cavaliers.

Also in the ACC, the Wahoos’ rivals North Carolina got a commitment from Marquis Haynes. Haynes is a defensive end from Jacksonville, Florida who will help bolster the North Carolina defense. The addition of Haynes makes the UNC total 16 for the new staff.

Staying in the Southeast, the University of Tennessee added to their slowly growing class of 2013. Cameron Sutton, a wide receiver and defensive back, pledged to the Volunteers after his folks got a chance to meet the coaches and check out the campus.

In other SEC East news, the Bulldogs have picked up a JUCO commitment. Big lineman Trenton Brown, who should provide instant relief upon enrollment in 2013, something the Dawgs will most certainly need. The Bulldogs big rivals, the Florida Gators, also picked up a solid commit. Octavius Jackson, a massive, athletic offensive lineman, committed to the Gators to help further Will Muschamp's drive to get physical.

We're wrapping up with some West Coast news, but it is not out of USC as it has been in recent weeks. Instead, across town, Jim Mora and the Bruins are making waves of their own. John Lopez, a highly touted offensive lineman, pledged for the folks in Westwood and that's a big get for a team with a lot of rebuilding to do.

Read more Notre Dame Football news on BleacherReport.com

Notre Dame Football: Things That Scare Irish Fans the Most

Notre Dame is now just a few weeks away from a long plane ride to their Game 1 location. They’ll begin with a formidable foe in Navy, and from there, the path doesn’t get much easier. Excitement is brewing, although the nervousness of another season with incredible expectations is also setting in.

Despite having, perhaps, the most overall talent they’ve ever had under Brian Kelly, the South Bend squad isn’t perfect. Nobody is, although there are more holes on this Irish team than others. And while holes are one thing, there are a few things to fear for Irish fans as they embark on the 2012 campaign.

Is it the personnel or the path in general? Don’t be frightened Irish fans, it’ll all work out in the end.

I think.

Be sure to sound off and let us know what you think in the comments below. If you like what you see, click here for more from Bleacher Report Productions.

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Ex-PSU players, coach appealing sanctions

First, the appeal came from the Paterno family. Next came a group of Penn State trustees. Now eight former Penn State players, along with an ex-assistant coach, are appealing the NCAA sanctions handed down to the football program July 23.

The group on Tuesday filed an appeal of the consent decree imposed upon Penn State, challenging the manner in which the consent decree was reached and accusing the NCAA of violating its own bylaws in handing down the punitive penalties against the football program.

Continue reading at ESPN.com – Big Ten Blog

Notre Dame Football: Pros and Cons to Gunner Kiel Taking a Redshirt in 2012

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly finds himself in perhaps the most precarious position of his tenure in South Bend.

Kelly must choose a starting quarterback to lead his team, and the forecast tells fans that the race has come down to Andrew Hendrix and Everett Golson.

But the name that has seemingly lost traction is Gunner Kiel. The Columbus, Ind., native, a 5-Star prospect according to Rivals.com, is entering his true freshman season at Notre Dame and is a viable redshirt candidate.

But would serving a redshirt season be beneficial for his development?

Let’s discuss the topic.

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Notre Dame Football: Gunner Kiel and Biggest Names to Watch in 2012

With college football season getting dangerously close, the excitement billowing from every corner of the USA has fans of Saturday football ready for action.

No school draws more attention than Notre Dame, though.

Add in a huge turnover and the addition of a prospect like Gunner Kiel, and the Fighting Irish have a lot of work to do before they are ready for action.

With their first game of the season September 1 against Navy, it’s time for some football.

All of the following names will on the lips of every Notre Dame fan across the nation, but whether they win games or not will determine the tone of the scuttlebutt.

No. 3: Cierre Wood

With tailback Jonas Gray signing on with the Miami Dolphins, the primary running back for the season will be junior Cierre Wood.

With his average of 5.1 yards per rushing attempt, 1,102 yards on 217 attempts and nine touchdowns, you better believe the fighting Irish will be feeding the ball to Wood early and often.

Depending on where Notre Dame goes with their quarterback situation, Wood may become the biggest part of their offense and the stabilizing force the team needs if it has a freshman under center.

No. 2: Brian Kelly

The Fighting Irish enter the season as the No. 25-ranked college football team in the nation, and there is a heavy burden on the shoulders of third-year Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly.

With a serious lack of impact by the team since Kelly took over, this will be the season that fans start expecting things to turn around. And they’d better.

If they get more of the same mediocre football coming from this program, the talk of the hot seat will fire up as it always does in the South Bend area.

No. 1: Gunner Kiel

With Notre Dame’s starting quarterback Tommy Rees suspended for the first game of the season after being arrested in May, the team must do the smart thing and give their future star Gunner Kiel a chance to shine.

If he doesn’t do well, the Fighting Irish can slide Rees right back in and let Kiel learn from his mistakes. On the other hand, the nation’s top prospect could be a star right away and win the starting job outright.

No matter what the team does at QB while Rees is suspended, as soon as the offense begins to inevitably sputter, the calls for the freshman will begin to get louder and louder. If Kiel’s the better starter, let him play.

Check back for more on the NCAA Football as it comes, and don’t miss Bleacher Report’s college football page to get your fill of college football.

Follow @Donald_Wood

Read more Notre Dame Football news on BleacherReport.com

Notre Dame Football: 5 Biggest Question Marks of Training Camp

Regardless of what type of season is expected of Notre Dame, it is a team that everyone will keep a close eye on because, well, it is Notre Dame.

Despite struggling the last two years under Brian Kelly, the Irish return seven starters on both sides of the ball and look to put those disappointing seasons behind them. There is certainly enough talent on both sides of the ball to compete for a BCS bowl this season, but like every team in the country, questions remain.

With the college football season three weeks away, here are the main questions that the Notre Dame Fighting Irish must answer before September arrives.

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Notre Dame Football: Must-See Matchups for Fighting Irish Fans in 2012

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will get plenty of exposure in 2012, as their schedule features a number of marquee matchups.

The Irish will kick off the season in Ireland and round it out in Southern California. But along the way there will be three clashes that Notre Dame fans would be foolish to miss.

Here are the must-see matchups for Fighting Irish fans in 2012.

September 1: Navy

The annual matchup between Notre Dame and Navy on the gridiron has developed into one of college football's most underrated rivalries. The Midshipmen always play the Irish tough, and in 2012, the two programs will clash in Dublin, Ireland. It doesn't get much better than that for Fighting Irish football fans.

Notre Dame annihilated Navy last season, beating them 56-14 in South Bend. Still, Notre Dame's season opener in 2012 is no gimme. Navy will be just as excited to play on such a unique stage overseas, and even more motivated to avenge their brutal 2011 loss to the Irish. After an 0-2 start to the season a year ago, Notre Dame fans will be watching with hearts pounding on September 1.

September 22: Michigan

There were few college football games in 2011 as thrilling as Notre Dame vs. Michigan. The two rivals went back and forth in the waning moments before the Wolverines ultimately prevailed 35-31 in front of their home crowd. On September 22, Irish fans will get to watch their beloved Notre Dame attempt to avenge that gut-wrenching loss.

Michigan will field a superb team this season, led by dual-threat quarterback Denard Robinson. Notre Dame will have its work cut out for it in South Bend, but the home-field advantage in college football can never, ever be underestimated.

Michigan will be in hostile territory against an opponent in the Irish, who have plenty of incentive to upend their rival in 2012.

October 27: Oklahoma

It's not often that Fighting Irish fans get to watch Notre Dame take on Oklahoma on the football field. This season, though, the Irish will square off against the national championship-contending Sooners in Norman. Notre Dame is 8-1 against Oklahoma all time, but the teams haven't played each other in over a decade.

With that said, there’s simply no way that Notre Dame fans can skip out on this matchup. Although Notre Dame will be heavy underdogs at kickoff, they have an opportunity to make a mess of the BCS picture with a win, and who knows, maybe even position themselves into a big-time bowl game. Regardless of what’s at stake, or the projected outcome, this is a must-see matchup in 2012.

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter all season long for the latest College Football Reaction.

Read more Notre Dame Football news on BleacherReport.com

How Does the USA Today Preseason Poll Alter Notre Dame’s BCS Path?

The seasons change, as do the faces, but the goals and aspirations never do.

Such is the case for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. Season after season, year after year, the rabid fanbase following the team under the golden dome expects its team to be one of the select few BCS participants.

The initial phase in any team’s quest to reach the promised land of a BCS game is earning a spot in the USA Today preseason Top 25 poll, where Notre Dame finds itself ranked 24th in the first batch of official preseason rankings released thus far.

It’s no surprise that the Irish find themselves in this position; it’s an annual tradition for the nation’s most historic program, whether it deserves inclusion in the rankings or not.

How that ranking alters Notre Dame’s BCS path is what needs to be dissected. Let’s have a look.

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Penn State faces questions, looks for answers

1. How will the NCAA sanctions affect Penn State this season? The sanctions handed down by NCAA president Mark Emmert in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal begin with the first year of a four-year bowl ban.

Continue Reading: Penn State faces questions, looks for answers

UCF faces uphill battle in NCAA appeal process

Knights hope to score rare victory, convincing NCAA to reverse football postseason ban The UCF football program's toughest opponent this year won't be Ohio State or Missouri.

Continue Reading: UCF faces uphill battle in NCAA appeal process

Paternos’ appeal reeks of desperation

Joe Paterno’s family has just issued the legal equivalent of a Hail Mary pass.

The Paterno family, through attorney Wick Sollers, sent a letter of appeal Friday to the NCAA, requesting an open hearing on the sanctions handed down to Penn State as a result of the Sandusky scandal.
“This matter may be the most important disciplinary action in the history of the NCAA, and it has been handled in a fundamentally inappropriate and unprecedented manner,” Sollers wrote in the letter to the NCAA’s Infractions Appeal Committee.

Continue reading at ESPN.com – Big Ten Blog

New bowl waiver could help Northwestern

If you’re a Northwestern fan, the last thing you want to think about is a 5-7 season in 2012.

But because of a new rule change, a 5-7 season still might be enough to get the Wildcats into a bowl this season.

The NCAA’s board of directors approved a new measure Thursday night for how to fill all the bowl games if there are not enough eligible teams. And that’s a real possibility this season. There are 35 bowl games, meaning 70 teams have to fill those spots.

Continue reading at ESPN.com – Big Ten Blog

Van Natta: Inside the Penn State sanctions

When Gene Marsh got the call on the morning of July 17, he was holed up in a one-room cabin — with no running water and no toilets — in woodsy Chebeague Island off of Maine. “A shack fit for the Unabomber,” says Marsh, a 60-year-old tart-tongued Tuscaloosa, Ala., lawyer. Only six days earlier, he had been hired by Penn State to help negotiate sanctions from the NCAA in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal. On the phone was Donald Remy, the NCAA’s general counsel.

Continue reading at ESPN.com – Big Ten Blog

Notre Dame Football: Brian Kelly Is Making Safe Play by Moving to Field Turf

There has been talk about the Fighting Irish possibly shifting to field turf ever since Brian Kelly hit the scene. The head coach runs a spread offense and he likes to push tempo and get athletes on the edge. Field turf is also a lot more conducive to his style than the long, thick grass of Notre Dame Stadium. Well, at his preseason primer, Brian Kelly erased the uncertainty regarding the decision on whether or not field turf is coming. As the South Bend Tribune reports, Kelly removes all doubt:

“Field Turf is coming,” Kelly said. “It’s something that’s eventually going to be in the stadium. We had a lot of construction in there this year, which kind of put us back a little bit, but that’s coming.”

You've got the goods straight out of the headman's mouth. Field turf is most certainly coming to Notre Dame.

If you don’t like it, shame on you.

I get that there are purests who swear by the old time feel of grass on the field. I get that people want Notre Dame to remain in this age of yesteryear where the stadium is the same in 2012 as it was several decades ago. The undying tradition and all that jazz.

Smelling salts. Ignoring concussions. Taking water away from players to prove who the tough guys were during summer workouts. Those used to be “tradition” too.

Until someone decided that safety mattered.

You see while everyone is worried about the “look” of things and not wanting to lose their own selfishly nostalgic feel, they’re asking their team to play on a surface that is becoming outdated. Especially from a safety standpoint.

But, you know, who cares about what's best for those players, your nostalgia is a hell of a trump card.

Field turf is making advances that grass just cannot replicate. Take the new field at Maryland, which should be the standard as teams transition to field turf, and you'll see where the innovation comes into play. Pads underneath the field to help reduce impact on joints and concussions from players heads slamming into the surface. The new “CoolPlay” technology that helps keep temperatures lower for those games in the heat.

You see, while you’re worried about nostalgia and getting to see those faceless players play on the same grass from years ago, you’re missing a chance to actually give a crap about them. I know, it’s a lot to ask; they are just silly, interchangeable pieces while you, the fan, will be there forever.

I implore you to take a step back. This is most definitely not about nostalgia or tradition. Hell, don’t even make it about what this new surface can do for Brian Kelly’s offense. In the end, if you can reduce the risk of injury, especially concussions, to a player who wears your team’s colors it should be something you get on board with.

If you don’t care enough to do that, what are you rooting for?

Read more Notre Dame Football news on BleacherReport.com

Notre Dame Football: Why Tommy Rees Will Lose Starting Job to Andrew Hendrix

The No. 24 (per USA Today’s Coaches Poll) Notre Dame Fighting Irish will attempt to make their third consecutive bowl game in 2012, but they will be doing it with Andrew Hendrix under center instead on Tommy Rees.

Rees would’ve been the starting quarterback for the Fighting Irish in Week 1 against Navy in Ireland if he never got arrested in May. Instead, he’ll be watching from the sidelines—or at home—since Notre Dame decided to suspend him for the season opener.

Rees was a solid starting QB in his sophomore season last year, throwing for 2,871 yards and 20 touchdowns. His completion percentage improved by four percent compared to his freshman season and he definitely looked more comfortable running the offense.

He and former receiver Michael Floyd led Notre Dame to the Champs Sports Bowl, but eventually fell to Florida State, 18-14.

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly has yet to announce who will replace Rees in Ireland, but Andrew Hendrix is a safe bet.

Hendrix is joined by Everett Golson, Gunner Kiel and Charlie Fiessinger as the other quarterbacks on the official Notre Dame roster, but only Hendrix has any experience.

Hendrix played in five games for Notre Dame last season, including its bowl game, where he replaced Rees. On the year, he was 18-for-37 passing with 249 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Those aren’t great numbers, but they could easily be improved with consistent playing time that will come in 2012.

Despite the experienced Hendrix, ESPN’s Matt Fortuna believes that Golson will end up taking the spot start against Navy. Fortuna writes that Golson has from now until September 1 to prove that he’s the better option and that his dual-threat ability could be what gives him an edge.

ESPN’s Joe Tessitore and Brian Griese both acknowledge that Golson is a good option, but that Hendrix has the upper hand. They note that Kelly is going to look for a QB who won’t turn the ball over, since Rees was notorious for throwing picks and putting the ball on the ground from time to time as well.

In order for Hendrix to win the Week 1 job, he needs to prove how consistent he can be. Every pass needs to be accurate and every pitch on an option play needs to be there in time. There can’t be any lapses in judgment. He needs to look and be confident running the Notre Dame offense.

For Hendrix to win the starting job once Rees returns in Week 2, he has to have a good game against Navy and lead the Fighting Irish to a victory—and not a nail-biter, either. Throwing for around 250 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions could convince Kelly to give him the ball against Purdue in Week 2.

Consistency is the answer to Notre Dame winning football games in 2012 and Andrew Hendrix will be the quarterback leading them to victory.

Read more Notre Dame Football news on BleacherReport.com

Notre Dame Football: Things That Scare Fighting Irish Fans

While every college football fan can be subject to the occasional freakout, the most paranoid fanbases tend to be those who have seen their teams grasp defeat from the jaws of victory.

Notre Dame has had more than its fair share of heartbreaking losses since its last national title in 1988, many of which have haunted Irish fans for years.

History often repeats itself in college football, leading to parallels being drawn between a current situation and one from years past—some accurate, others a bit of a stretch. It might be a certain team, coach, player or stadium that sends chills down the spines of Fighting Irish fans.

As we approach four weeks until the start of the 2012 season, let’s look at the five things that always make Notre Dame fans gasp.

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Notre Dame Football: Breaking Down Everett Golson’s Strengths and Weaknesses

After Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly announced that incumbent starting quarterback Tommy Rees has been suspended for the Irish’s season opener, Everett Golson’s chances at taking the reins increased exponentially.

The sophomore from Myrtle Beach, S.C., served a redshirt year in 2011, but is poised to take command of the Irish offense when Brian Kelly’s squad trots onto the pitch at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland on Sept. 1.

Before any such thing occurs, I’ll provide a breakdown of Golson’s strengths and weaknesses.

Let’s get started.

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Notre Dame Football: Fighting Irish Should Start Gunner Kiel in Season Opener

Give Gunner Kiel a shot.

Notre Dame starting quarterback Tommy Rees was suspended for the first game of the 2012 college football season after getting arrested in May. If Brian Kelly was smart, he’d start Kiel against Navy without hesitation.

Rivals rated Kiel the No. 1 quarterback prospect in the 2012 recruiting class. His ceiling is through the roof. He has the potential to not only eventually go first overall in the NFL draft, but to lead the Fighting Irish back to prominence.

And that includes national championship contention.

Now, I’m not saying if you start Kiel this season, Notre Dame is going all the way. It isn’t a legitimate title contender—it went just 8-5 last season, which wasn’t an improvement over its previous campaign. But that’s even more of a reason to throw Kiel in against the Midshipmen.

If Kiel sinks, no big deal. Kelly can just throw the mediocre, yet experienced Rees back under center to stick it out for another season.

If Kiel swims, though, and shows the flashes of brilliance that he’s capable of, the Fighting Irish just found their savior.

Kelly would have the option to hand Kiel the reins this year. As long as he isn’t rushed in to action, the more experience he has, the faster he’ll progress.

And who knows? If Kiel takes the inevitable punches all freshmen quarterbacks must brace for and walks away looking like a starting-caliber quarterback, Notre Dame could be fighting for a national title as soon as next season.

Dare I say Rees’ suspension was a good thing?

Instead of blindly sticking Rees under center without providing Kiel with a fair shot at a starting job, Kelly now has a no-risk, high-reward option at his disposal: start Kiel one game without a any kind of commitment to play again this season and see what happens.

An off-campus party may have just ushered in a new and promising era of Fighting Irish football.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

Follow @TheRealDDaniels

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Notre Dame Football: Why the Irish Are Ranked No. 24 in USA Today Preseason Poll

USA Today released the first preseason poll for 2012 today, launching the college football season into full swing. Notre Dame finds itself settling in at No. 24 in the poll. Looking at the offseason that was and the schedule that looms this fall, it’s not hard to see why the Irish were ranked at No. 24.

Quarterback issues continue to find their way to South Bend with Notre Dame facing questions after the offseason arrest of assumed starter Tommy Rees. The Irish also lost their primetime receiver Michael Floyd at the conclusion of the 2011 season.

Notre Dame also faces issues on the defensive side of the ball with the secondary and linebacker positions facing a lot of question marks heading into fall camp. Landing at No. 24 feels just right for the Irish prior to this 2012 season—here are the six reasons why.

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