theres no such thing as having too many quality qb's.

What do you guys think?

1. Starting Demetrius and then having Jimmy red shirt and learn, then having him take over when DJ is gone. All the while having Crist learn and be sculpted.

2. Throwing the true freshman Jimmy Clausen into the fire and having him become a 4 year starter. (maybe using Carlyle err... Demetrius at another positions)

3. Double QB (Florida Gators style) utilizing both Demetrius Jones & Jimmy Clausen throughout the year (hopefully won't become the Tennessee syndrome) all the while having Crist sit and learn when he arrives in South Bend.

4. Arms Race part 2, if there isnt a clear cut 100% QB by the end of this year (hopefully it doesnt come to that) and having Demetrius/Jimmy/Dayne/etc. etc. battle it out.
Kellin | Email | Homepage | 04.22.07 - 1:55 pm | #

An important point about Crist pointed out elsewhere is that the kid is only 17. Clausen followed the prospect's trajectory of late starts in grade school to give him time to physically develop, and he's 20 now. These guys may be only separated by a year in school but Dayne has time to spend a year or two on the bench and still have a full career in college.
indy | Email | Homepage | 04.22.07 - 2:03 pm | #

Though I love the guy and his attitude, personally I have a feeling that Jones will never be our starting QB. I don't know why exactly, but thats my gut feeling.
Brad | Email | Homepage | 04.22.07 - 3:19 pm | #

I was at the blue & gold brunch with the players and was able to check out all 4 current players. I was surprised at how built Sharpley is compared to the freshman/sophmore QB's. During the game, Sharpley also appeared the most comfortable leading the team. With all the hype of JC & DJ, I really think Sharpley may be the starting QB against Ga Tech. DJ is a heck of an athelete and a natural leader. He will be a major contributor to this team at some position so long as he decides not to transfer. JC will be the starting QB at ND, it is only a question of time. I think that ZF is the odd man out at this juncture. I would guess he is the one most likely to transfer especially with Crist coming on board.
Nails | Email | Homepage | 04.22.07 - 4:01 pm | #

No offense to you in particular Nails, but I think we should refrain from transfer speculation just because a guy might not be the starter. There might be a transfer eventually, there might not. But to attach a kid's name to transfer speculation now only serves to create rumors that are never helpful. If someone makes a decision to leave the team, so be it. Until then, predicting which QB will transfer isn't something I really want to see on this blog. It's not fair to the player in question.
Pat | Email | Homepage | 04.22.07 - 4:14 pm | #

Good point Pat. I also thought Sharpley looked far more comfortable on the field yesterday. He's a very good athlete. And I think the additional year that he has had in the system showed in his play.
Don E. Brook | Email | Homepage | 04.22.07 - 4:19 pm | #

You can never have to many good qb's. I loved seeing Holtz hunkered down picking leaves of grass out of ND stadium. And his quip in the postgame presser re not throwing to the TE was hilarious. Now if only he could just slip some arsenic into Mark May's cool aid...
jeremy52 | Email | Homepage | 04.22.07 - 4:24 pm | #

A good plan in theory, jeremy52, but Mark May doesn't drink the ND Kool-aid.
DCDomer | Email | Homepage | 04.22.07 - 5:14 pm | #

Of course Evan Sharpley is going to appear the most poised during the Blue-Gold game, he is the only person to ever take a snap in a real game. He has been in Notre Dame Stadium when there isnt 51,000, but instead 82,000. He has played in past Blue-Gold games, so of course he is going to appear the most comfortable in the pocket. YET, even though Sharpley is the "most experienced" why did he get "sacked" 4 times and also have a fumbled handoff? Comfortable and poised? I dont think so. Personally, I would feel most comfortable handing the reigns over to Jimmy or Demetrius. Allow either of these 2 men the chance to develop by experience (see: Brady Quinn). I think it is best to get teach them young, and frankly Sharpley (even though he hasnt been there long at all) isnt as much of an athlete in both athleticism and potential to improve anywhere and everywhere. Come fall, I expect to see either #3 or #7 under center. Hell, maybe in a few years, well might even see #10 (Crist of course) in there, who knows?
Ian | Email | Homepage | 04.22.07 - 6:30 pm | #

For anyone thinking it might be in one player or another's best interest to transfer if he comes out of the QB derby on the wrong side of the depth chart, all you have to do is look at very recent history to tell you that that might wind up being unfortunate for every party involved. The unexpected will almost always happen at some point, and depth charts can & will change.
The reason I say this is that I grew up an OU sooner fan and have followed the team even while my first allegience has switched firmly to the Irish. Two years ago, heading into fall practice, OU faced a 3-way race for the right to replace Jason White. Paul Thompson, the long-time backup, Tommy Grady, a big kid w/ a cannon arm (and also a bit of a recruiting coup snagged from SC's back yard), and Rhett Bomar, the newest young "stud" and top-rated QB in his recruiting class, were all nearly dead-even heading into the spring. After some academic trouble arose, Grady (considered by many to be the best combination of potential and athleticism) felt like he was falling out of the race and decided to transfer to Utah. That left Bomar and Thompson. The veteran backup won the job, but lost it w/in a few games and eventually switched to WR to help the team (a la Carlyle Holiday). The entire college football world knows what happened the following summer, and it left only one of the original 3 QB's to call the plays under center - the one who'd switched out of the position.
Now, obviously I don't think any of our players at ND are dumb enough to take money they haven't earned and thus jeopardize their careers, but the point is that stuff happens and depth charts change. Tons of QBs impress the hell out of their coaches in camp and practice but simply don't perform on the field, in real-game situations. Injuries happen - from minor to serious/career-theatening. At the moment, Tommy Grady has still not been able to win the starting job at Utah, though if he had stuck it out w/ the Sooners, he might very well have been the talk of the college football world as the kid who stepped up when his teammate messed up - a title that instead went to the QB turned WR turned QB, Paul Thompson.
It could be that one of our QBs decides it is in his best interest to play elsewhere -- and such a move might even work out for the best -- but at the moment, all 4 are exactly what I just said: they're OUR quarterbacks. Let's treat them as that and hope they can all find a role in our program. Just my 2 cents.
BAIrish | Email | Homepage | 04.22.07 - 6:38 pm | #

It may also be worth pointing out that SC has a backup in the pros, and 3 or four years under Charlie may be enough to get somebody drafted even if he doesn't see a lot of snaps.
indy | Email | Homepage | 04.22.07 - 8:04 pm | #

We have many many months of fan speculation, media articles, practice observations, rumors, and general anticipation concerning our starting QB. Let's have fun with it. Let's soak it up. The best QB's in the country want to sign with ND even in light of the "log-jam" at the QB spot.

Currently, we have 4 competitive, quality players who want to see the field, who have a dream. The fact of the matter is there will be guys will want more out of their college careers and to more directly participate in the game they love. Some guys will be content to be part of the ND experience as a back-up, some guys will keep battling waiting for a break, and some guys will consider transfering. In the spirit of open analysis and discussion, let's not be afraid to consider the issue of tranfers on the ND QB situation... I think the posters on BGS are capable of this without turning into an mob to run certain guys out of town.

GO IRISH!
Nails | Email | Homepage | 04.23.07 - 12:46 am | #

Clausen, who should be finishing up his senior year in high school, is 20!

I was 16 most of my freshman year.

Where do they stash such guys? In a pool room for several years? I mean we had some stubborn guys who flunked back a few grades, guys who shaved in the eighth grade. And it was sort of neat later to have a 22 year old fullback who played with a pack of Camels and a Zippo lighter in his sock.

I think Rick Meir was an old kid too.

Physical development between 15 and 20 is significant. Very apparent viewing high school freshmen and seniors.
Judge60 | Email | Homepage | 04.23.07 - 1:00 am | #

Why is everyone so up on DD? Not that I don't think he is good, but what have we seen so far that more qualified for the job than any of the other 3 players (other than attitude, which is great)? He didn't perform admirably in the spring game. While I realize that nobody was allowed to get into a rhythm because of the roatation used, many are already writing of Frazer in large part due to his performance in the B&G game.

Nails,
The posters on the board may be "capable of this (talking about possible transfers of QBs) without turning into an mob to run certain guys out of town", but doing this would bring a student's character into question, which I am sure is not the intention of anyone here, including yourself.
Jon | Email | Homepage | 04.24.07 - 3:56 pm | #