With starting QB "really, really close," Kelly outlines key traits

Really close. Really, really close.

Maybe even reallyyyyyy close. It was hard to tell.

Regardless, Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly all but said Thursday that the Fighting Irish have determined their new starting quarterback.

Kelly's comments come on the heels of his team's sixth preseason practice, a session that featured roughly 30 minutes of 11-on-11 scrimmaging.

Those situations also saw Drew Pyne and Jack Coan work exclusively with the remainder of the first-team offense, though only the reserve units mustered much success in running the football against their defensive counterparts.

“Oh, we're really, really close,” Kelly said. “Really, really, really, really close.

“We're not going to do it here today, but we have an idea of who it's going to be. We want to talk the kids probably this weekend. My guess is we'll probably have an announcement for you at the start of next week.”

Pyne hit some nice throws, particularly to Kevin Austin, but he was twice picked off; once on a diving grab by TaRiq Bracy and another time on a fourth-down situation inside the 10-yard line by Marist Liufau, a play that would have resulted in a pick-6.

Bracy's pick came on the scrimmage's third play; Liufau's athletic play, where he completely eliminated any throwing window for Pyne to dump off the ball, snuffed out the promising possession for the first-team offense, a march that saw Austin dazzle on a fourth-down catch and quickly emerge as an explosive target.

Kelly wants the offense to stretch the field but also urged precision with possession.

What must the starting quarterback display?

“He's got to disperse the football, certainly down the field,” Kelly said. “He's got to have accuracy in making those throws. So we've been looking for the guy who can make those throws vertically. I think everybody in this room sent me the email about throwing the ball down the field. I've heard you.

“Certainly there's got to be that ability to get the ball down the field. We've always felt like the quarterback has got to be the brains of this operation. We're getting in run-checks, protection, knows how to protect them. Those guys are really good at that. The deciding factor is just the ability to get the ball out on time, accurate and allow this offense to make big plays.”

With those traits as backdrop, Kelly later answered a question about Coan and revealed the power-arm of the 6-foot-3.25-inch, 223-pound first-year graduate-transfer from Wisconsin had been a plus-skill.

“I think some of the things that surprised me in the spring was his arm strength, he's much more athletic than people give him credit for,” Kelly said. “I knew he was well-coached (at Wisconsin).

“We knew what we were getting there. We knew we had a kid that was smart and tough, from that perspective. So I would think that the arm strength and the ability to run were a bit more than what we had bargained for and we're happy for that.”

Likewise, Kelly praised Coan's quick assimilation into the Notre Dame culture and program.

“Coming into the preseason camp and even this summer, he's been a really good leader,” Kelly said. “Our guys respect him and have really followed him. As you know, that's really hard to do when only here very short period of time as a transfer.

“Really done more than I think a lot of us had even expected. Very pleased with what he's done.”

Tyler Buchner worked the third-team reps, and the heralded freshmen bounced back from early struggles with some good work against the Irish's backup-defense. That's also when Logan Diggs and Audric Estime flashed some dazzling abilities.

Diggs showed an ability to plant, cut and get upfield – even amidst traffic; Estime flashed strength and a willingness to meet contact without hesitation. Both backs appeared to catch the ball well out of the backfield.

Kelly said it's clear that Buchner is a “dynamic player” while he also praised the skill-levels and talent of the freshman duo of running backs.

Along the offensive line, with Blake Fisher out for concussion protocol, according to Kelly, Notre Dame worked, from right to left, Josh Lugg, Cain Madden, Jarrett Patterson, Zeke Correll and Michael Carmody as its primary first-team unit.

“He's tough, he's physical,” Kelly said. “Look, when you're evaluating a guard, you're not evaluating strictly based upon what he does. It's what he does within the combination.

“He makes our combinations better. Whether they are combinations with the tackles or combinations with the center, they're better combinations. That's thickness in terms of strength at the point of attack, which allows whoever that guy the ability to finish that block off. Sometimes we look at strictly what that guy does individually, but it's really what happens off the combination, and his ability to control that or push that combination, that allows that trail player or that lead player to take over that block, he's really good at it. He's a veteran, he's been in it.”

Tosh Baker likewise continues to push, and first-year freshman Joe Alt continues to battle – as well as grow physically, with Kelly noting Alt has gained nearly 60 pounds since his arrival on campus.

“There's eight to 10 guys, we're working eight to 10 guys in that mixture there that all got a lot of work today,” Kelly said. “Blake was out, so Carmody got a lot of work. He's done a really nice job.

“Tosh is getting a lot of work. Joe Alt has been a surprise in a sense; he's been outstanding. We recruited him, he was 246 pounds. He's up over 300 pounds. He's really strong. So we're working all those guys in. I mentioned at the start we got two (Patterson and Lugg) and we're going to keep working the rest of those guys.

“Rocco (Spindler) is coming on. It's fun to watch all those guys compete.”

TRANSFORMATIONS APLENTY

Kelly has been complimentary of his wideouts early in camp, particularly noting he believes Lenzy, Keys III, Austin and others have prepared to take the critical next step.

Defensively, Kelly shed some similar insight after Thursday's work.

“I can tell you that in terms of their physical change, body type, Clarence Lewis was huge,” Kelly said. “TaRiq Bracy was huge. Rylie Mills. I could give you probably 10 guys, like their numbers and body composition and how they transformed themselves, physically and now how that's shaping up mentally, is really, really big.

“In some instances even Kyle Hamilton. This is the best summer he's had since he's been here. Cam Hart was unbelievable this summer. His point total was over a thousand. I would be remiss not to talk about those guys in the same breath as Lenzy and those guys as well. I'll finish it there.

“We're pretty excited about this group and the way they've trained. Now we've got to get that on the field. That's football. We've got to transfer it from the weight room to the football field. It's been a fun group to work with. It's going to be a tough season, tough schedule. I like the direction we're headed.”