Notre Dame Football: Why Andrew Hendrix Deserves to Start at QB

With apologies to the other three quarterbacks vying for Notre Dame's starting spot this season, Andrew Hendrix should be the clear front-runner.

Why?

Because he takes care of the ball.

Head coach Brian Kelly has made it clear that his top priority is inserting someone under center who doesn't throw the ball away...like, say, Tommy Rees did last season. Rees turned the ball over 19 times last season, a far cry from "taking care of the ball." He would have to improve dramatically in that area to land the No. 1 spot.

Of course, there's top recruit Gunner Kiel, who has already displayed the arm strength and accuracy that could see him start in due time. However, the fact of the matter is, he's still learning the playbook and will need to adjust to the next level. Starting him right away could make for a very bumpy ride in the beginning.

As for Everett Golson, he hasn't displayed the pocket accuracy this spring needed to be the starting quarterback of the Fighting Irish. Bad pocket accuracy equals turnovers and, remember, Kelly doesn't like turnovers.

Then there's Hendrix. The junior-to-be only attempted 37 passes last season, but he has a lot of experience in Kelly's system and has been working on his game for a while now. His accuracy and arm strength will allow the Fighting Irish to push the ball downfield. Even with Michael Floyd last season, Notre Dame had trouble consistently throwing the deep ball.

And in addition to his intelligence, Hendrix also has the athleticism to gain some yards on the ground when things break down in the pocket. He averaged 6.5 yards per carry last season.

If the Fighting Irish's focus really is to take care of the ball this season (and it should be), Hendrix is a no-brainer. He's already shown enough in the spring to prove he's not going to turn the ball over 19 times if he gets the starting job. And while he's certainly not a perfect quarterback, he gives Notre Dame the best chance to win because he'll likely be the most consistent of the four signal-callers in 2012.

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