Malik Zaire cleared for practice, Brandon Wimbush back in Notre Dame QB battle

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Notre Dame redshirt sophomore quarterback Malik Zaire has no physical limitations as he enters spring practice, and the budding quarterback competition he’ll take part in with redshirt freshman DeShone Kizer. 

Zaire, who fractured and dislocated his ankle Sept. 12 at Virginia and missed the remainder of the season, participated in winter testing and conditioning and, according to coach Brian Kelly, he responded well to everything.  

"Even with the ankle, he didn't back off from any of the testing," Kelly said. "We gave him an opportunity not to do some of the testing, and he didn't want anything to do with that. ... All of his numbers were tracking to where he was before he was injured. So we feel really good about him being fully engaged in everything that we do."

The Kettering, Ohio native started 2014’s Music City Bowl and the first two games of the 2015 season before suffering his injury. Zaire competed 47 of 75 passes for 694 yards and five touchdowns, and also rushed 52 times for 290 yards with two touchdowns over the last two seasons. 

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Meanwhile, Kelly backtracked on his February comments about planning to redshirt freshman quarterback Brandon Wimbush, who was forced into action last fall after Zaire’s injury. The talented former four-star recruit will have an opportunity to win playing time, Kelly said, though snatching snaps away from a two upperclassmen (Zaire will be a redshirt junior, Kizer a redshirt sophomore in 2016) seems difficult. 

"I know I've talked during the year about the possibility of redshirting, but as we've gotten a chance to assess his situation, we want to give him a chance to compete, as well," Kelly said. "We think he's extremely talented so he'll be given the opportunity to compete, as well, and have a chance to break through."

Kelly said he and his coaching staff would prefer to exit spring practice with a clear idea of who the team's No. 1 quarterback is, but also said there's the possibility of opening the season Sept. 3 at Texas with a rotation in place at quarterback. Whatever conclusion on which Notre Dame settles, it'll begin that decision-making process Wednesday. 

"I would love to say that there's going to be a No. 1 quarterback and that's our guy and we're all behind him, and the No. 2 and the No. 3," Kelly said. "I just think we have to go into this with our eyes wide open and really great communication with all three of them and really an open, competitive evaluation, and we can't have any preconceived notions to anything."

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