A week ago reports surfaced that Everett Golson had reached out to LSU about possibly transferring. Â Golson quickly tweet a vague denial and George Whitfield, a QB guru who worked with Golson during his exile, denied Golson was going anywhere as well. Â ESPN’s Brett McMurphy sent out a tweet this morning though that poured gasoline on those transfer rumors stating that 24 schools have expressed interest in Golson.
24 schools (6 SEC) have expressed interested in ND’s Everett Golson, if he decides to transfer, source told @ESPN
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) January 12, 2015
McMurphy’s tweet really should not come as much of a surprise. Â For as much blame as Golson received for Notre Dame’s 7-5 regular season because of his 22 turnovers, we are still talking about a quarterback who combined to pass and run for 37 touchdowns and at one point in the season was right in the thick of the Heisman race. Â What school with questions at the QB position for next year wouldn’t at least kick the tires there if they could.
Late last week Brian Kelly told ESPN that he expected Golson to return to Notre Dame for his final season and at the very least spring practice where he would compete with Malik Zaire for the starting position that he at one time had a stranglehold on.
To reiterate what we said last week, Golson can’t transfer anywhere until after spring practice because he will not graduate until May so it makes sense that he would stay at the very least until spring practice concludes and he knows where he is at in the annual quarterback competition that seems to take place every year under Brian Kelly. Â If at that time it looks like Zaire is going to be the guy for the Irish at quarterback, it looks like Golson will have a tough decision to make and no shortage of options should he choose to transfer.
Until then, it looks like we are in store for a lot of transfer speculation regarding Golson.
Jack, Harvin’s failing a marijuana test was nothing compared to the other stuff. When he was recruited, he was allowed special exemption from certain team rules that the other players had to follow. Then, check out why Jarrod Fayson left Florida and transferred to Illinois. It involved a fight initiated by thug punk Harvin.
Why did Seattle let Harvin go? Did his fights with Golden Tate and other receivers constitute the straw that broke the camel’s back? Think about a player too sordid to play for Pete Carroll. And Meyer knew it was coming when he recruited Harvin.
Of course, now Meyer will try to be a paragon of virtue and will be supported by compliant fans and press in Munich, er Columbus.
I don’t really care what the SEC does. But I would never be comfortable with Meyer.
“For what doth it profit a man (or Notre Dame) if it gain the whole world and lose its soul?”
Scum like Will Hill and Percy Harvin helped Meyer win championships and Cardale Jones’ disdain for ANY academic accountability is well documented
(by him).
Like the old robber barons, Meyer is now trying to move to respectability and nobility as a “builder of men.” Well, as a Christian, my job description is to traffic in forgiveness support and improvement, and I hope it’s authentic with Urban.
But Meyer recruited a lot of scum in Gainesville. Habla Cecil Newton, Cam’s daddy? I’m convinced that Kelly, after ten minutes with slimy Cecil would never have gone near Cam.
You forgot the biggest scum bag of all Aaron Hernandez. Multiple incidents at Florida. Urban goes where he can get players, plain and simple. He doesn’t want to go to the NFL because when his players test positive for weed they will sit 4 games not a half against a sub division school. Both Hernandez and Harvin sat a half for testing positive for weed, unfortunately the SEC hides all tests from the public. It’s a joke really, the conferences now run College Football and if they don’t want a cash cow suspended they will force the NCAA to let it go or they will leave the NCAA. It’s sad right what is allowed to go on at Universities.
The bottom line is it is better if Golson returns. If he is a true
competitor he will.
What gives me hope for ND is the current shift that is taking place in college football. The SEC (rightfully so) has dominated championships and wins for quite a while now. But this year, we saw that talent outside of the SEC could beat Alabama, Old Miss, Miss St., Auburn and LSU. And, what Ohio State has done should be noted.
I still believe the SEC is the best conference top to bottom. However, there is not a huge disparity between the SEC’s #1 or #2 team and one from the Big Ten, ACC, etc. That bodes well for Notre Dame moving forward.
I believe with less offensive turnovers, a strong running game and a fast, elite defense, ND could play with anyone in the country. Those pieces aren’t quite in place yet, but they are miles ahead of where they were in 2010, 2005 or at any time since 1993.
Golson can be a great quarterback and I really hope he stays. I think Zaire can be a great quarterback, too, but both are better than one IMO.
Urban Meyer is already a great coach. Meyer chose Florida over Notre Dame a while back, which is not exactly unexpected given the advantages of coaching down south at a state school. He then chose to come back to the Buckeyes, another storied program with several distinct competitive advantages over Notre Dame. The man is smart, wants to win and puts himself in situations that are most compatible with that goal.
Kelly is our coach and, despite the difficulties that Notre Dame presents, he wants to win at this institution. I think he is every bit as smart as Meyer but, frankly, he chose a tougher road by coming to South Bend. I think he is the coaching equivalent of the right kind of guy. Big time coaches are not pounding on the dome, begging to get to coach here. There is still a good chance that Kelly will get us to elite status and the school seems to me to be dedicated to attaining that goal. We could very easily be great next year.
Excellent perspective!
But don’t you mean… “Great this year”?
Definitely! 2015!
I agree that coaching at ND is tougher than anywhere in the country. The school needs to review that and understand if it wants to be a competitive program and win National Championships, it needs a great coach. Coach’s don’t want to come to school where every year someone is getting suspended and players are not given the tools to succeed. Again, administration at the University and Board of Trustees need to realize eventually generations will forget ND’s greatness and only remember mediocrity.
Coach Kelly is a great coach! He recruits well, develops talent well and (usually) game plans well. He admits mistakes and tries to correct them. The team seems to love him (most players, anyway) and the other coaches on his team. He puts developing young men ahead of football. He made it to the National Championship once in 5 years. Who is better for ND?
I’m not saying he isn’t the right coach. What I’m saying is the depth issue that haunts ND is not Kelly’s fault, but more of a problem with the administration not allowing players that other Universities get. I commend Coach Kelly on taking a job with the deck stack against him. After Kelly who is going to want to come to ND? I know if I was a coach I wouldn’t want to be at ND with the restrictions, academic standards and fan base that demands NC’s every year.
Everyone was calling for Golson to get benched during the year, now it seems no one wants him to leave? Really? What does ND owe him? Zaire, Kizor, Wimbush. I think we might be ok at QB. Ohio State just won the national title with a bunch of sophomores not to mention a 3rd string QB. Got to give Meyer and the Buckeyes credit. In fantasy land I would like to see what an Urban Meyer could do with a 2015 ND football squad.
You could even take it a step further with Golson. He leads ND to the NC game and all of a sudden he’s the Second Coming. Then he gets expelled for cheating and people curse him saying “good riddance, we dont want you here.” But when his readmittance to school becomes imminent, he’s welcomed back with open arms. Then what you said comes in…. he stinks up the joint, people want him benched, he considers transferring, and people plead for him to stay.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ezekiel-elliott-carries-ohio-state-to-college-football-playoff-title-in-rout-of-oregon-051102188-ncaaf.html
ouch
Former nd receivers coach wins three national titles since leaving nd, great job Kevin and jack
Great job indeed!
Isn’t it nice to know that ND gave a promising young coach his first chance, allowing him to grow and cut his coaching teeth at a place like ND, which would provide him with the basics and the values needed to go on to a very productive and successful life!
WE ARE.. ND!
ISIS’s use of social media has enabled them to procure thousands of new recruits. Great job Kevin and Jack. And Kelly!
Brett McMurphy is an absolute idiot. Last sentence, first paragraph. “What school…(period)” Probably the same school that bought you how to punctuate, you ‘tard.
*taught
Thanks, JDH – I was hasty in my disgust. I now feel pangs of Catholic-guilt, where spelling is even TAUGHT before punctuation. (;
HURLS,
Thank you for taking that as a joke, as it was meant to be! I’m a consumate smartass, but please know I laugh at myself just as hard. I’ve committed the same crime you just did. (facepalm) 🙂
Kenny M, What a ridiculous comment. There, got that off my chest….as for Golson, please, please come back. I like Zaire a lot but there is no he lasts a whole year of college football with the way he wants to pull the ball down and run it all the time. Even just after that one game he was walking around a little gimpy.
I don’t think we can expect BK to play them both like he did against LSU all the time but I could definitely see (and be fine with) a platoon situation of some sort at the QB position.
PS, I too am Canadian and I love me my Notre Dame Football!!!!
i just wrote the below comment, looked above at your comment, (after posting) and saw “I’m a
Canadian…”
1) God bless you for that.
2) The CSC’s (NotaDame’s clergy) formed / “first congregated” (; in Canada.
3) Keep an eye on ND Hockey. (Canadian = Hockey) Tough year this year, but Jeff Jackson knows how to restock a program.
Oregon and Ohio State, run , run, run
http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/urban_meyer_6828.html
How did Kevin white not get urban Meyer?
Politics. Plain – and – simple. ND was not willing to yield the Power Urbie demanded.
Kenny M; You are exactly right in one respect. You saw Zaire play his FIRST start. Period. Against an elite defense. Compare his first start with Golson’s please.Very similar play calling by the coaches. The result? Much more impressive against a tougher team.
How do you see EG as more talented? Where is the evidence? Talented in keeping cool and not getting flustered? Nope. Talented in not turning the ball over? Nope. Talented in running the read option? Not even close.
EG, with all of his advantage in training (QB school for a year with Whitfield), and in game experience, shows no superiority in reading defenses or adjusting to blitzes. He throws the ball a bit better downfield – in his second full season. Give Zaire a full spring and summer and let us see if he cannot catch up. We need a QB with poise and confidence. If EG cannot find these, and we have not seen him show them since the FSU game, it is time to give Zaire the ball.
lol…you guys watch football in Canada?
Of course we do, Canada loves the Irish !!
“Oh Notre Dame, we stand on guard for thee…”
37 total TD people. I know the turnovers are a major issue and can’t continue but I can’t throw my blind support behind a QB after just one game. Golson is the more talented player and at one point was 17-1. I still believe Golson missing a full year played some part in his collapse in the second half of the season but fans seem to forget that EG carried this Irish team for 6 games and had the roles been reversed could Zaire had duplicated that early success because I say no. On that last drive versus LSU we saw who Kelly had on the field. I am not knocking Zaire because we wouldn’t have beat LSU without him but Golson coming back is critical if we have any playoff dreams in 2015.
I just really hope Golson decides to stay!
Agree. he better stay because he is the QB who if he plays to his potential by just cutting his turnovers in half, he can do more for us as far as competing with the elite teams. Zaire would be a great change of pace.
winston had 25 td with 18 int this year. Granted he was at 40 and 10 last year. But I think Golson has the potential for 40 td with 10 int. I wouldn’t write this guy off so fast.
Also Kelly is a pass first play caller. He is not going to change and if you look at the skill position players we have coming back in 2015 not including Davaris Daniels who might be our best WR I think Golson is the QB that gets us to where we need to be. I think the best thing that could have happened to Golson was getting benched. The guy loves to compete and hopefully both QB can push each other to be elite.
what does it matter how many TDs Winston had? They barely made it into the playoffs even though undefeated and took a similar beating like ND took in the NC game against Bama.
It’s really about winning games. And if you have a really great defense you don’t need 40 points every game to win. The goal is to win a championship as a team, if you don’t do that you’ve basically failed.
Exactly Pete, everyone, including myself, got all excited about Zaire’s performance. However Kelly had a great game plan with very little downfield passing for Zaire. Anytime a pass was definitely needed, Golson came in and bailed us out. Thus, Zaire’s accuracy on the long ball is a big question mark for now. The LSU gameplan is not going to work against everyone.
The wild card in all of this is Kizer. If Golson leaves, Kizer steps in as the number 2 (assuming Wimbush redshirts). Will Kizer be ready? What type of system will be in place for him because he’s a different type QB? There will be a lot of question marks come Spring/Summer and it will all come down to what Golson decides to do.
The big unknown for me is how good a passer is malik Zaire. It is hard to tell from one spring game and roughly 2 regular season games. Kid is fast and a very good runner and if develops into a good passer is a better fit in Kelly’s offense. With that being said I feel Golson can be a very good quarterback if he can play within himself and develop a quicker release, ball security, make better decisions,etc. He has good accuracy , can extend plays, strong arm. Both quarterbacks would benefit from a strong running game and better pass protection, and no dropped passes. Notre Dame’s receiving core is very skilled and talented but had way too many dropped passes this year.
Do you honestly think Brian Kelly would have recruited Zaire if he couldn’t pass?
If you don’t think the kid can pass watch highlights from HS games and ND Practices. He just needs time to work with the starting receivers to adjust for their speeds and habits.
I’m not a huge Golson fan, he’s got a good arm but I think he’s overated.
I’d like for all these teams who want Golson to be identified..being the conspiracy theorist I am, I wonder if possibly people in the Golson camp like his guru Whitfield are trying to exert some type of influence.
The fact he graduates in May doesn’t make sense for him to transfer then. Doubt there’s time for him to learn a new system etc. to be of much use unless teams are looking at him as a backup.
God it would be awesome if Zaire is our QB and he’s not a great passer. We’d actually be forced to run the football. Every time that happens we crush it.