Notre Dame football: Three big questions entering fall camp

As part of our continued coverage in the run-up to the start of fall camp on Aug. 6, we break down the three big questions facing Notre Dame football this preseason.

With a majority of starters gone and a disappointing bowl game performance to end last season, Notre Dame fans have plenty of reasons to question how the Irish will perform in 2016. But the return of DeShone Kizer and Malik Zaire, alongside the depth of talent around them, there’s also plenty of reason for optimism as well.

All of that means there’s a boatload of uncertainty regarding the Irish this year. On one hand, the team seems to be facing a relatively easy schedule and is set up to make a run at the College Football Playoff. On the other, many of the team’s best players, including almost all of the linebacking and receiving corps, are gone. On one hand, Brian Kelly has restored the Irish to the status of perennial contender. On the other, Notre Dame has not won a New Years Six bowl under his tenure and seems to constantly come up just a little short.

With all these questions and concerns swirling, 2016 should be a gut-check moment in Kelly’s time at the university. A berth in the CFP would cement his status as an equal of Lou Holtz and Dan Devine, another good but not great season will inevitably lead to murmurs about how far Kelly can take the Irish.

So what are the big issues Kelly has to resolve for this year? For this post, we discounted questions of who would start at a certain position, as we’ve already talked about that at some length. Instead, we focused on the big picture questions about the overall state of the program.

Next: When will the defense live up to its potential?