Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Notre Dame is hosting four-star quarterback DeShone Kizer (Toledo, Ohio. Central Catholic) Sunday and is considered the overwhelming favorite to land the No. 4 dual-threat in the 247Sports composite rankings.
Kizer received the long-awaited offer from offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Chuck Martin Jun. 5 and didn’t hesitate to make plans to head for South Bend to visit the campus and meet with the coaching staff. The need for a quarterback intensified after the sudden departure of Everett Golson and his uncertain future. The skill-set that Kizer brings to the field will be a tremendous marriage with Brian Kelly and Martin’s offense and potentially challenge for a starting job with Malik Zaire his first year on campus.
He does need to refine his passing mechanics, specifically his release and footwork, but with another year of high school and coaching he will receive at camps between now and college can help speed up that development. At 6-5 and 207-pounds he has a prototypical frame for a quarterback and the tools to develop into a future NFL draft pick barring injury.
Kizer will visit LSU, Alabama and potentially Tennessee before making a decision about his college plans, but I believe after he takes his visits he will commit to Notre Dame. That decision would further complicate the decision of Golson who may elect to transfer or declare for the NFL draft, but he could come back which would mean Kizer redshirts.
Kizer was selected to participate at The Opening and compete at the Elite 11 this summer. He passed for 1,147 yards with 10 touchdowns and ran for 540 yards and four more touchdowns last season as a junior en route to a state championship.
Patrick’s a college football writer for Rant Sports and radio host on Sportstownchicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatrickASchmidt and add him to your Google network.
