Notre Dame Football 2012: How Irish Would Fare with Everett Golson as QB

With Notre Dame in the midst of yet another heated quarterback controversy, I will be conducting a four-part series on how the 2012 season would turn out with each of the four quarterbacks on the roster as the starter. 

In the running for starting duties are junior-to-be Tommy Rees, junior-to-be Andrew Hendrix, redshirt freshman Everett Golson and true freshman Gunner Kiel. 

In Part 1 of this four-part series, we'll be featuring Everett Golson.

When Brian Kelly accepted the head coaching gig at Notre Dame, Fighting Irish fans everywhere began daydreaming about what Kelly's up-tempo spread offense would look like in South Bend. 

Visions of their beloved Fighting Irish tacking 40 or more points on the scoreboard was a realistic expectation.

However, that hasn't happened. Brian Kelly was aware of how far his offense was removed from reaching its potential following the 2010 season, so he brought in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina native Everett Golson, a 3-star dual-threat quarterback from Myrtle Beach High.

Despite being a relatively small prospect (6'0" and 185 pounds soaking wet), Golson still received scholarship offers from the likes of Michigan, Stanford, Georgia, Ohio State, Florida and South Carolina, among others.

Maybe it was Golson's numerous highlight reels that wowed coaches at those respective institutions. 

Golson ultimately chose to attend Notre Dame in the hopes of leading an offensive revival.

His time to do so may be just a few months from today. Golson didn't commit to Notre Dame to ride the bench, you can be sure of that. The kid is a winner in every sense of the word. 

With Golson under center, the Irish offense would enjoy a sudden resurgence from the agonizing days of Tommy Rees running the show. 

Golson's ability to make things happen with his feet will keep plays alive, a skill that is necessary for the spread offense to operate at its highest level. Don't mistake him for Michael Vick, though. Golson is a pass-first quarterback. 

Having weapons such as Cierre Wood, Theo Riddick, George Atkinson, DaVaris Daniels and Davonte Neal to distribute the ball to will only make Golson's life easier, considering he lacks true playing experience. 

That lack of real-time action may be offset by the amount of mental reps Golson took on the sideline last season as a member of the Red Army.

If Golson does win the starting quarterback job at Notre Dame, the comparisons to Michigan's Denard Robinson would begin swirling immediately. Golson might even be expected to match Robinson's production.

Considering the talent surrounding him at Notre Dame, there's no reason why Golson wouldn't be able to match Robinson's numbers.

Yet it's not just the oozing talent and potential that should have Notre Dame fans on the edge of their seats. It's Golson's leadership skills, as well.

He compiled a 44-5 career record as Myrtle Beach High's starting quarterback, including a South Carolina Class AAA state title during his senior season. The season prior, Golson led his team to a state runner-up finish.

While the competition at the BCS level is leaps and bounds better than his high school competition, Golson's ability to lead a team goes without question.

Mix in his jaw-dropping talent with that leadership capability, and it's not out of the question for Everett Golson to lead the Fighting Irish back to the BCS.

It's only a matter of time.