Notre Dame Football: The Future Without Everett Golson

The flip of the calendar to May, or for that matter just about any month heading into the next season- often accompanies itself with defections in South Bend.

Irish faithful are all to familiar with recruits that have signed letters of intent back in February- and then remaining on shaky ground within their panic striken hearts from there.

College football in a nutshell.

Even players already enrolled will flee.

It's bound to happen.

It's written in gold.

It's like going through the grocery line with 2 carts worth of products only to have the cashier flip the light off just as your unpacking.

Or Lucy yanking the football away.

Players will always leave Notre Dame when least expected.

They will also jet from another university to come to South Bend.

And players will pull off some stunning moves that no person can make sense of.

Eddie Vanderdoes.

Jordan Prestwood.

Gunner.

Deontay Greenberry.

And for the Irish, they must now 'unpack' some success achieved from this past Music City Bowl victory over LSU.

A masterful plan utilizing the skills of Malik Zaire, mixed with Everett Golson.

Nothing overwhelming.

Pretty vanilla.

Notre Dame will push forward without Golson.

There is no Gunner Kiel or Blake Barnett coming to the rescue- two passers that at one time were Irish pledges and would start yesterday had they signed with Notre Dame.

But of more importance- the Irish must now prime 2 backups that have yet to see any meaningful college football.

Or putting it more bluntly- none.

2nd year third stringer DeShone Kizer just became a starter in waiting.

Incoming blue-chip prospect Brandon Wimbush will never see a redshirt.

Both will be beckoned to elevate their play and must now scratch any desire to 'wait in the wings'- as Wimbush eluded to when he learned of Golson's departure:

“I wanted to redshirt,” Wimbush said. “I had the mindset of coming in and redshirting and being able to learn and get acclimated for a year. With this, my mind changed immediately. My mindset really did change quickly as soon as I heard it.”

“I was really shocked. It gives me an opportunity, which I’m excited for, but I’m kind of disappointed that he left because I wanted to be able to learn under him.”

What was at one moment a flleeting playful time on campus and during the spring game in April where Golson flicked a pass to Zaire, and thoughts emited from around the football universe that 2015 looked very promising- has now morphed into a consruction site yet again.

No pun intended with the Campus Crossroads project currently underway around the stadium.

New coach Mke Sanford is now plattooning as a skyscraper crane operator.

Delicate touch.

Communication.

Nerves of steel.

All traits he will now have to harness even more with his new assignment as the Irish quarterbacks coach.

Some insight as to possibilties of just how the Irish may pull off another LSU style type of play throughout the season, which may deem the Irish quicker success- can be found in Stanford's words when he came into South Bend in March:

“The biggest thing that I’ve found is that championship football a lot of time comes down to who runs the football the best and then who makes the explosive plays down the field in the throwing game. I think the Stanford background combined with being in the spread offense and the ability to run the quarterback and what that does in terms of man-to-man coverage defense teams, a lot of them don’t account for the quarterback."

“That’s had a big imprint on me and then this past year at Boise State, having a chance to be a part of a championship football team that ran the football well, had good balance. I think the hallmark of Boise State offenses has been running the football and having explosive, creative offensive schemes. That’s what I think we were able to get done this year.”

Not only have a couple of young quarterbacks found themselves in unchartered waters rather quickly, but the roles of runningbacks Tarean Folston, Greg Bryant and CJ Prosise have now been elevated to not only perform as expected- but they could very well be the catalyst for a winning season in South Bend.

When everything appeared potent from a passing attack perspective heading into summer, the run game just took center stage.

The complex circumstances surrounding the Irish football team heading into summer will yet again spawn speculation, hype, waivering thoughts and concern.

Can Malik remain healthy?

How will the 2 backups grasp things?

Will academic issues again unfold?

If you've followed along like a favorite tune you always hum, this is everyday life for Notre Dame football.

And like every other year, they will have a starting quarterback.

They will kickoff against Texas.

Business as usual in South Bend..