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Notre Dame Football

Wimbush Focused on Growth, Chemistry, and Habits

April 22, 2017
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The nation got its first look at Notre Dame quarterback Brandon Wimbush on Saturday afternoon in the Blue-Gold Game. The redshirt sophomore went 22 of 32 for 303 yards and two interceptions.

It wasn’t the best Wimbush has looked this spring, but he showed plenty of flashes of the quarterback he will become when September rolls around.

“We are growing, and we are in the process,” Wimbush said after the game. “It’s delayed gratification that comes with it. We will go through this thing as a team, and I think we finished the spring on a high note on all sides of the ball.

“We’re looking to have a successful summer to lead us into the fall.”

Wimbush has taken game snaps in Notre Dame Stadium before, but getting into a game flow was a little bit different for the 6-foot-2, 226-pounder.

“It was amazing,” stated Wimbush. “It’s an experience in itself to run out of the tunnel. I played in a spring game and regular season games, so I have had been able to experience it. To be out there full-time with the guys and to demand things from the guys, I enjoyed it.”

Growth is what head coach Brian Kelly wanted to see from his team this spring, and Wimbush felt the entire quarterback room achieved just that.  

“I think whole quarterback room with the help of Coach (Tom) Rees, Coach (Chip) Long, and Coach Kelly, we have come a long way from day one to where we are now,” Wimbush explained. “We want to continue that into the summer.”

The quarterback room isn’t the only place Wimbush has noticed significant growth. The chemistry with his wide receivers has gotten better, and now it’s about bringing the younger guys along.

“We have progressed,” Wimbush said of his chemistry with the receivers. “I came with a couple of them, Alizè (Mack), EQ (St. Brown), Miles (Boykin), CJ (Sanders), and (Chris) Finke. We were running freshman year together, and we had some chemistry there. The younger guys have come in and done a great job progressing themselves throughout the spring.

“We have built a great chemistry so far.”  

Wimbush trusts his receivers to make the play but admitted he could get away with a little more with the incredible size the receiver unit has been blessed with.

“You tend to want to miss high more,” explained Wimbush. “You have the ability to put the ball up there and not have it be a perfect throw all the time. You will see them go up and get the ball, even down to CJ and Finke. They are smaller guys, but they will tough it out and go make a play.”

As the Irish break away from spring football, Wimbush will turn his focus to working on developing the habits the team has formed this spring and carrying them into the offseason.  

“All the habits the best of the best have developed, whether it is getting here on a consistent basis and studying film with guys that have questions – Coach Kelly has been harping on habits and doing things over and over again to build our traits of excellence,” said Wimbush.

“We have all done a great job with developing those habits this spring.”
 
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