You forgot to mention that Mallet is a fat slob who cant move in the pocket. This does make him hard to bring down. I saw him in person in san antonio, and man is he pudgy.
Trey | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 10:08 am | #

Mallett usually wears a flak jacket under his jersey like Ron Powlus used to do. That does make a QB look bigger. He's a big kid, but not fat.
Pat | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 10:50 am | #

I'd like to read our opponents' preview of ND's QB position.
Gabe | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 10:57 am | #

Interestingly, Phil Steele ranks Jimmy Clausen the 64th best QB in the country. He is the only freshman on the list of the 65 best. Plenty of sophomores, but Clausen is the only freshman listed.
ndfredo | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 11:09 am | #

Nice preview, although Navy's third string QB is Troy Goss, not Trey. He'll be a receiver by the time the season rolls around.
Adam | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 11:36 am | #

It may be a veteran group, but John David Booty is the only one with strong numbers compared to years past. Henne is respectable, but everyone else seems to be a 50% TD/ 50% Interception type passer.

Frankly, that doesn't look as scary to me as it has in years past. I think ND's defense, if they can put together a decent DL, has the potential to put up much better numbers than the swiss cheese stuff from the last 2 years.
atepesm | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 12:37 pm | #

Doh. My mistake Adam. Thanks for the catch.
Pat | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 12:42 pm | #

I might be asking too much but can you put what year they are next to their name or stats. thanks
kevin | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 12:44 pm | #

Done kevin. Class years added to the end of their 2006 stat line.
Pat | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 12:52 pm | #

if booty is steele's #2 qb, who's #1?
yz | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 12:57 pm | #

Steele's #1 qb is Brian Brohm
Rob | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 1:03 pm | #

Brian Brohm out of Louisville is Steele's #1 QB, yz.

Great list, guys. As always, a few terrific QBs and then several that are just okay. The fact that there aren't really very many mobile ones we have to face is a relief. The thing I don't understand about Bennett, though, is why on earth he wasn't put on the field ahead of Ball? Part of me thinks maybe he was just worse, but part of me thinks that's not possible.

Also, this is off-topic, and I apologize if it's been mentioned around here already, but I just read a few days ago that Darius Walker was released by the Texans last week. Things have really worked out pretty badly for him, I guess.
Jade | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 1:06 pm | #

Oops. Sorry, Rob. You type faster than me.
Jade | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 1:07 pm | #

Small item, but I wouldn't call JaMarcus Russell mobile. He was unstoppable on a 3-yard sneak, but he seems slower and less mobile than even Quinn. Of course, I'm not including Russell's ability to walk on water...
Yago | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 2:41 pm | #

...and his uncanny ability to teleport at will.
B | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 2:56 pm | #

Actually Jade, it looks like the Texans re-signed Walker a few days after releasing him. I hope he's able to stay with them through camp and enter the season on the roster...

http://www.chron.com/disp/story....nt/ 5010055.html
PK | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 3:03 pm | #

reading this breakdown makes me a little bit petrified. Corwin's sure got his work cut out for him!
Jeremy | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 3:03 pm | #

Jeremy,

Now is no time to be squeamish. Now is the time to suit up for epic battle. Corwin Brown's defense does face some mighty foes, but we have no reason at this point to lack in faith.

I'm ready to see a defense that's lean, mean, and capable of successfully covering the play where the quarterback throws it as hard as he can at a receiver. You can borrow my Viking helmet if you want.
Pete | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 3:05 pm | #

Thank you for the research and insight.

None of those quarterbacks scare me, but of course none of Notre Dame’s quarterbacks scare anyone on the schedule either.

When was the last game that a future NFL quarterback had a bad game against Notre Dame? We always seen to bring the best out of opponent quarterbacks and field goal kickers.
Subway Alumni | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 3:11 pm | #

Honestly, USC/UM are really the only offenses that make me think ND better buckle down.

ND should be able to go toe to toe with any of these other teams without question. ND's young team will mature in games 1-3, but I expect ND to start shutting teams down by the end of the season.

UM and USC, those are going to be tough games, everything else, ND should win.

Its July, I'm drinking the Koolaid and I think ND's going to be better than people give them credit.
atepesm | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 3:44 pm | #

Great analysis as usual Pat, thanks for the heads up!
FightingSonOfNotreDame | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 3:44 pm | #

This is off topic. Does anybody know what channel will be covering the Michigan, Purdue, or Stanford games?
Joel | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 3:50 pm | #

Michigan game is on ABC. I jumped the gun on asking, even when I was pretty sure it would be. My buddy at work is worried that, because the 'und' website doesn't show which station is broadcasting PU and Stanford, they won't be on. I just want to put his mind at ease that as long as he has access to ABC, NBC, and ESPN, he will be able to see all of the games this year. Thanks.
Joel | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 4:13 pm | #

Pete,
I wish you would have included 'nasty' to your description of the defense.

Is your Viking helmet that of Siegfried's?
Domer Steve | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 4:39 pm | #

Pete,

Thanks for the pep talk. I've donned my Viking helmet and have cut off the bottom third of my polo shirt (a la Chris Zorich) and am now prepared to run through a brick wall for Corwin! Just as soon as I gett off work that is!

Go Irish!
Jeremy | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 5:04 pm | #

Domer Steve,

As much as I respect the Viking hat for being sophisticated yet undeniably pointy, I am a proud Dillonite, and will be a Dillonite until I die, and then probably for quite a long time after that.

Jeremy,

The short shirt is absolutely genius. Nothing says, "I'm fired up and ready to go" like a little exposed belly. I might go with that look for my next job interview.
Pete | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 5:42 pm | #

Two quick related pieces of news:

ND/Michigan Extend Rivalry Through 2031 (!)
http:// sportsillustrated.cnn.com...f=si_topstories

Quinn Is Still Holding Out
http:// sportsillustrated.cnn.com...f=si_topstories

Though I understand that most top picks hold out for cash, it's tough seeing Quinn doing it, too. I may just be naive here, but I hoped Quinn would agree to a decent contract, get in camp, and then get in some games this year. The longer he holds out, the less chance there is of him getting in this season, as far as I've read...
PK | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 6:12 pm | #

ESPN reports that ND and michigan signed an extension through 2031. is this up anywhere else?
tyler | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 6:13 pm | #

dang. beat to the punch!
tyler | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 6:14 pm | #

Pete. Unless you are interviewing at Hooters, keep the belly covered. Please.

I hear that all of the Eagles' draftees have signed. Does anyone know how Victor made out with his contract?
Don E. Brook | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 6:21 pm | #

Just answered my own question.

"Rookie second-round pick Victor Abiamiri's contract is worth $2.48628 million over four years, with an $800,000 signing bonus, base salaries of $285,000, $370,000, $460,000 and $550,000 and various workout bonuses." PhillyBurbs.com
Don E. Brook | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 6:45 pm | #

Taylor Bennett played another game against UCONN as a true frosh, so the WVU isn't his only starting experience. I know Taylor from my time at Tech as a student. He is a a student of the game and one the smartest guys Tech will face all season. I think he will end up tied for 5th with Morelli when the season is done with.
Mike | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 6:55 pm | #

Brady is faster and more mobile than Russell in every way except skin tone
tim | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 7:26 pm | #

Mark f'in May said to mark it down in pen - not pencil - that the Irish would win only 1, 2 at the most, of their first eight. He also said if ND gets 7 wins, Charlie Weis would get his vote for Coach of the Year.

I can't wait to hear him flop on that one and explain how the Irish's eight wins were too easy. D-bag.
RedMahoney | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 7:48 pm | #

Give the Wolverines credit for extending the series.

As I will be {hopefully} alive in 2031 ,I hope that a classic game in a classic series doesn't have me "knocking on Heavens door" ahead of schedule.
Dana Payne | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 8:00 pm | #

Good stuff. Too bad Ryan is still at BC, I would feel pretty confident about a victory with him gone, but I think it will be quite a tussle.

I think Bennett and Morelli should be transposed on that list though (or will be by the end of the season). The good thing for us is that we get Bennett early. Whereas whenever we get Morelli he'll still be dumber than a bag of hammers.
Thundershaker | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 8:09 pm | #

Good piece.

I'll have to go with BC - it's in their genes now, their QB is damn tough, and we play them "not to lose" versus "to win" (yet,amazingly, Navy nails them in their last bowl!).

Red - I've read that post a few times now (re: Mark May). Is it really true? This is going to be a superbly interesting season, not a great team, but 4-4 is probably 1-2 losses more than we start the first 8 with.

MM had best come up with a new schtick pretty quick.

Go Irish
Bill H. | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 8:35 pm | #

Mark May said ND could possibly beat MSU or Purdue.
Rob | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 8:51 pm | #

I realize that JaMarcus Russell isn't as fast as Drew Stanton or as elusive as Reggie Ball, but it was plays like this that drew me to put him in the "mobile QB" category. Quinn's a great athlete, but I don't recall him doing this that much. And more to the point, ND set up their defense to keep an eye on Russell, especially after one of his long QB sneaks. Truly mobile or not, the perceived threat of the QB run is the key and something that all QBs this year, save Painter and the two from the academies, lack.

Mike - I did notice Bennett's start against UConn, which is why I said that all of the QBs have at least two starts under their belt. And I agree that he's going to turn into a very solid QB. It's just that the ND game is going to be his first road game and historically quarterbacks have a rough time with that. It wouldn't surprise me to see him have a very solid game though.
Pat | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 10:19 pm | #

Mike,
I'm also a GT alum (ND grad school). Some trivia for the kids: Who are the only two QB's in Div 1A history to throw for a TD on their first ever pass attempt?
Answer: Matt Leinart and Taylor Bennett.
bgr | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 10:36 pm | #

Bill, he said it on College Football Live on Friday...said ND will win 6 games at best.

Great show though...Lou, Ara and Charlie Weis talking ND.
RedMahoney | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 10:42 pm | #

Great stories here

http://www.leaguelineup.com/welc...5& url=thegipper
phillyirishfan | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 10:47 pm | #

They mentioned that in his official bio bgr. Not a bad way to start a career.
Pat | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 10:47 pm | #

This is off-topic, but I don't know where else to ask. Is Domer Domain offline or is it just my computer for the last week?
Annie Mouse | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 10:58 pm | #

Good news! Notre Dame-Michigan series extended through 2031...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com...a.ap/ index.html
PAK'00 | Email | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 11:19 pm | #

I'm a little surprised at some of these reactions – I'm all for optimism, but when I read through this qb list I thought it seemed like a pretty potent group. Booty, Henne, Olsen, Painter, Morelli, Ryan, and Ostrander all strike me as very capable signal callers - some are among the best in the country; a few haven proven to have impressive strengths alongside noticeable (but improvable) weaknesses; and, as pointed out, ALL are veterans [maybe Ostrander is a questionable inclusion, but wasn't he the backup that stepped up 2 years ago and played great against us in the "how-the-hell-have-we-let-Stanford-hang-around" game?].

I do think we'll have a surprising, aggressive D this year that'll keep our opponents on their toes, but I think it's over-the-top to say that the only guys we have to worry about are Henne & Booty. Yes, numbers are important, and many of these qb's have unimpressive stat lines, but let's not forget that before '05, Brady was a 50% passer (granted, not many of our opponents have new coaches that happen to be among the finest QB gurus from the NFL, but I digress). Don't be surprised if one or two of the supposedly "middle-of-the-pack" guys has a spectacular game against us: not b/c our D will be suspect, but b/c we're ND - we're gonna get everybody's best shot, and these guys are capable of delivering. I think our D will prove up to the challenge, but let's not sell our opponents short - at the very least, the majority of these QB's have serious potential.
BAirish | Email | Homepage | 07.31.07 - 12:04 am | #

Also, does anybody know how our opponent qb slate fares against other teams around the nation? Phil Steele's a little shaky, imo, but I wonder which team has the toughest competition based on opposing qb using his rankings. The 8 that we face who are ranked avg out to about #23; the best 6 are all top-25. It's kinda an obscure sub-set of strength of schedule, I know, but I'm curious how we compare.

One more month... just one more month...
BAirish | Email | Homepage | 07.31.07 - 12:08 am | #

ND-Michigan series gets extended through the year that I'm 60!! Oh, the humanity.
Fitzwater | Email | Homepage | 07.31.07 - 8:10 am | #

ND/UM is a great series. I look forward to that matchup every year and was thrilled to hear the news.

As far as the QB list goes, Matt Ryan (who I think has been at BC since like '98) really scares me. He may not have the weapons that Booty and Henne possess but he's a tough kid.
Schultz | Email | Homepage | 07.31.07 - 8:23 am | #

I don't doubt for a minute Mark May said those things, but a link/video link to his idiocy would be helpful.
Cliff | Email | Homepage | 07.31.07 - 8:34 am | #

To answer the question about when was the last time a future NFL quarterback had a bad game against ND, how about Drew Brees (sp?) last game vs. ND - the one in which Purdue ran the ball more and put the restraints on Brees for some reason and lost to ND?
brian seiler | Email | Homepage | 07.31.07 - 9:10 am | #

Has anybody been listening to Colin Cowherd lately?...he has been killing ND on their perceived "tough" schedule and razzing on the end of the um series and the academies/duke/baylor etc.....wonder what he'll say with the UM series being renewed.....

I am a life long ND fan, but I don't have that great a feeling for this year....I have a feeling we're going to take our lumps, next year will be our year.....give me some reasons to be optimistic PLEASE!!!!
david | Email | Homepage | 07.31.07 - 9:26 am | #

David, God is on our side...he has just been on vacation since the FSU game of 93
B | Email | Homepage | 07.31.07 - 9:51 am | #

What are the odds of K. White giving in to Michigan and letting them reschedule our series so Michigan doesn't play ND and OSU on the road in the same year? I say Kevin gives in.......
mikes1160 | Email | Homepage | 07.31.07 - 10:35 am | #

Speaking of QB's, Brady Quinn's holdout is making him look real bad. After the draft, he talked about the money saying that the money would be made in his next contract.

He already has enough to worry about...half the country wants to see him fail, he has the whole draft debacle over his head and trying to prove his fall wasn't warranted.

Get in camp Brady.
RedMahoney | Email | Homepage | 07.31.07 - 10:36 am | #

did you hear we just signed with michigan until 2031? i'm stoked! white finally did something right
Anonymous | Email | Homepage | 07.31.07 - 11:14 am | #

Mike's ND page has UM at home when we're away at the $emi-Pro$. Let's hope that's what the dry ink says.

UM must (please!) have staggered tOSU and ND, or are preparing for it.

http://www.geocities.com/College...696/sched- f.htm

I guessed UM would never budge and we weren't going a respectable replacement. Love to be wrong on that one.

KW can make some good decisions w/ enough pressure. Hope he didn't cave on the staggering the $emi-Pro$ game.
ThE LoSt BoY | Email | Homepage | 07.31.07 - 1:17 pm | #

There's a bunch of stuff on espn about Crist. He looks like he'll be a fantastic QB . . .
Gnarls Willingham | Email | Homepage | 08.01.07 - 8:39 am | #