Is South Bend ready for a breath of fresh (Malik) Zaire?

One of the most exciting questions deep in the gold loving minds of most Fighting Irish fans is “who will be the man behind center when the Irish take on Rice in the first game of the season?”

Everett Golson charges into the season with an undefeated regular season and an appearance in the BCS National Championship under his belt. Even though Golson needed help from Tommy Rees on a few occasions this still gives Golson the advantage in the eyes of most of the Golden Domer faithful.

But, for anyone who watched live or has seen the spring game there still stands the question “just how good is Malik Zaire?”

Apr 12, 2014; Notre Dame, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Malik Zaire (8) prepares for the snap in the first quarter of the Blue-Gold Game at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

In high school at Archbishop Alter in Kettering, Ohio, Zaire didn’t put up the numbers needed to quiet his critics mostly due in part to Alter’s option heavy offense. Zaire has been quoted saying “numbers are numbers. I want them to look at my wins or losses. If I am a good leader.”

Zaire in his first full season at starting Quarterback led his team to a perfect 10-0 in the regular season. Zaire showed his leadership and ability in such a way that Brian Kelly extended him an offer to play at Notre Dame before ever seeing him throw in person.

Staying with the question “just how good is Malik Zaire?’

We move on to the Spring game that saw our two starting Quarterback hopefuls combine for a total of 452 yards passing. 292 of those yards belonging to Malik Zaire. Zaire looked especially brilliant in the first quarter slicing and dicing the defense to the tune of two scoring drives. Not to discredit Golson’s 160 yards passing but, Zaire looked more in control of the offense and seemed more comfortable in the pocket.

Will Malik Zaire walk out of the tunnel on August 30th as the starting Quarterback for the Irish? We don’t know but, what we do know is Malik Zaire has given us a glimpse of what he could do if he was unleashed as the starting quarterback. So, is South Bend ready for a breath of fresh Zaire?