Tommy Rees, Andrew Hendrix, Everett Golson and Gunner Kiel will vie for the starting Quarterback position this Spring and Fall. There are a lot of intangibles that will go into who ultimately wins this battle. In evaluating a Quarterback, several factors should be taken into account. Among these characteristics are size, arm strength, accuracy, poise and many others. Which current Notre Dame Quarterback has the best tools to prevail as the starter against Navy in September?
Size-The prototypical size for a Quarterback is between 6'3''-6'5'' and 225+ pounds. Therefore, the only Quarterback who meets this criteria is Gunner Kiel who is listed at 6'4'', 220.
Arm Strength-Tommy Rees lacks the arm strength to stretch the defense. The other three Quarterbacks have adequate to elite arm strength. Andrew Hendrix has an "NFL" arm.
Accuracy-It is difficult to know how accurate Golson and Kiel would be against college defenses. Tommy Rees' strength early in the season was his accuracy. This of course faltered as the season progressed. Andrew Hendix has shown so far that he is very inaccurate.
Touch-Both Kiel and Hendrix have the same issue in this category. They tend to throw the ball with the same velocity on every play. Tommy Rees does show touch on the short to intermediate range throws.
Footwork/Delivery/Release-Kiel has demonstrated an almost robotic set-up and delivery as a Quarterback. Tommy Rees has an extremely quick release but can be sloppy at times with his footwork, which is something that he cannot do without elite arm strength.
Running Ability-Rees' lack of ability to run hampered Notre Dame's offense in 2011. In the 2nd half against Stanford, Hendrix demonstrated how potent Notre Dame's offense could be with a competent running Quarterback at the helm. Golson is probably the best runner on the team.
Pocket Presence-Rees was not sacked many times in 2011. Of course this had a lot to do with Notre Dame's Offense Line but it also had to do with Rees' presence in the pocket.
Poise-Rees had shown poise to lead Notre Dame down the field for many game winning drives or potential game winning drives such as USC (2010), Michigan and Pittsburgh.
Decision Making-Rees nor Hendrix make excellent decisions. Golson and Kiel, both with no playing experiences will not make good decisions either.
Locating Receivers-Many critics have discussed Rees' inability to get the ball to play-making Wide Receivers Michael Floyd and Theo Riddick. The running ability of the other Quarterbacks allows them to keep plays alive and locate receivers down field.
Leadership-Rees' because of his previous starting experience and age in the program gives him a leg up on the competition. He can lead a young and inexperienced offense better than Hendrix, Golson or Kiel.
In evaluating each Quarterback and their specific traits, Andrew Hendrix has the best opportunity to lead Notre Dame and be successful in 2012.
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