Notre Dame Football: 5 Position Battles to Watch Heading into Spring Practice

With spring break winding down and spring football starting next Wednesday, Notre Dame football will officially move forward from 2014's disappointment to the optimism surrounding 2015.

Long gone is the November disaster, reminiscent of the season's final month that doomed the Charlie Weis era. A stacked roster nearly overflowing with talent returns, as Brian Kelly and his revamped coaching staff figure out how to get their team into the second edition of the College Football Playoff. 

Roster battles will take center stage. Some obvious, some not as much.

Before hearing from Kelly next week as Notre Dame's 15 spring workouts begin, let's take a look at some key position battles. 

Quarterback

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No position battle will be more discussed, dissected or debated. 

Everett Golson vs. Malik Zaire. 

In Golson, Notre Dame has Brian Kelly's first hand-picked quarterback. After missing the 2013 season because of an academic violation, Golson led the Irish to their best offensive season in Kelly's five years in South Bend but were undone by a rash of turnovers. 

Turning to Zaire against USC and in his first start against LSU in the Music City Bowl, Notre Dame's offense transformed into a power-running, speed-option attack. The engine of that resurgence was Zaire, who pinballed his way through LSU as a runner after sparking the Irish offense in the second half of a lopsided loss to the Trojans.

At this point, we know what Golson can do, though it's up for debate if he can do so without making critical mistakes. We've seen less of Zaire and know that he'll succeed as a runner, though his passing skills—not to mention surviving a season's worth of punishment—make this spring so difficult to predict.

Add to the mix new offensive coordinator Mike Sanford and Golson's ability to transfer free of penalty after he earns his degree in May and there's good reason this is one of the most intriguing position battles in all of college football.   

Left Guard

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The departure of returning starter Matt Hegarty has opened up one spot along the offensive line. And the chain reaction of the fifth-year senior's departure is about to begin. 

We profiled some of the young linemen who seem primed to take a run at the open job, with redshirt freshmen Alex Bars and Quenton Nelson both ready to give chase. But the last three recruiting cycles for Brian Kelly and Harry Hiestand went heavy along the offensive line, making this job anyone's guess. 

Health is going to play an important role this spring. We've heard nothing but good things about veteran Colin McGovern, though his path to the field has been blocked by a tough depth chart and some challenges staying healthy. Same thing for one-time blue-chipper Hunter Bivin, who didn't dress for the bowl game in January but is expected to be healthy this spring. Throw John Montelus into the mix as well. 

When we openly speculated about who would fill Zack Martin's shoes, not many thought about Ronnie Stanley, the incumbent at right tackle. So a position switch could be in the mix, with Steve Elmer potentially flipping sides, though sandwiching an inexperienced starter between Stanley, a likely first-round pick, and fifth-year senior Nick Martin makes a ton of sense. 

Last year, Notre Dame's offensive line struggled when it went into fall camp still trying to decide on a starting lineup. Expect that experience to impact how this spring goes, with Hiestand and Kelly ready to pick a starting five and begin to build chemistry. 

Tight End

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Ben Koyack is gone, with Notre Dame's latest tight end leaving a depth chart with exactly one catch among the contenders for the starting job. But that's not to say there isn't talent in Scott Booker's meeting room. 

Now a group of players mostly known for their recruiting ranking needs to show those skills on the field. Likely leading this group is junior Durham Smythe. While his one catch hardly counts as much of a contribution, Smythe's well liked by this coaching staff, and there shouldn't be much of a drop-off between Smythe and Koyack. 

Perhaps the best part of this position group is its diversity. While Smythe is an all-around tight end who should succeed attached to the line or in the passing game, the different skill sets at the position should allow new offensive coordinator Mike Sanford to mix and match. 

Sophomore Tyler Luatua started against LSU, serving as a jumbo blocker. Rising junior Mike Heuerman looks better suited for the passing game, though a variety of injuries and a struggle to gain weight to his 225-pound frame have kept him off the field. 

Before Alizé Jones comes to campus this summer, redshirt Nic Weishar gets his chance to impress the reshuffled coaching staff with his hands and length in the passing game. 

Add it all up and there's a bunch of talent but zero experience, making spring practice key to sorting things out before the Irish open next season against Texas.  

Defensive End

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On paper, Notre Dame loses nothing at this position. But after a season where the Irish struggled to generate any pass rush from their base defense, finding the best personnel for the field will be critical this spring. 

After losing senior Ishaq Williams in August as part of the academic investigation that took five Irish veterans off the field, sophomore Isaac Rochell was thrust into the starting lineup. Rochell responded with a big season, one of the few front-line players who both lasted the entire season and continued to improve. 

While Romeo Okwara led the Irish with four sacks, freshmen Andrew Trumbetti and Grant Blankenship also played. None looked like the solution to Notre Dame's pass-rushing struggles, which makes rising sophomore Jhonny Williams' spring so important. 

After redshirting in 2014, Williams will get every opportunity to show he's capable of providing a pass rush. If it's not him, Kolin Hill will continue to get reps as a designated pass-rusher, though he's still listed as a linebacker on the roster. 

Also expect to see former linebackers Michael Deeb and Doug Randolph getting some reps at defensive end. Buried on the depth chart behind a talent linebacker corps, there's no harm in trying to find a role for two athletic players. 

The Irish were in the hunt for some very big names on the recruiting trail but only managed to reel in Bo Wallace from New Orleans. Before he arrives on campus, new defensive line coach Keith Gilmore needs to evaluate the personnel he has while also finding a way to get the team's best four linemen on the field. 

Linebacker

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Jaylon Smith will be in the starting lineup. Unless something goes very wrong in his rehab, Joe Schmidt will be too. 

From there, what the Irish decide to do with their third linebacker job remains to be seen. Returning starter James Onwualu put together an impressive debut season after transitioning from wide receiver. So did Nyles Morgan, who garnered freshman All-American honors for his play after Schmidt went down.

Jarrett Grace is the wild card of the group. After a devastating leg injury nearly ended his career, the starter in 2013 will be back this spring hoping to earn back a job. 

A position that once looked scary on the depth chart transformed over the past 12 months. Sophomore Greer Martini showed he could play, doing so right out of the gate. John Turner was the star of last spring. Early enrollee Tevon Coney looks to get a chance as well. 

With Mike Elston now coaching linebackers, the position group will have some fresh eyes in its meeting room. While the duo of Smith and Schmidt could be one of the most productive in college football, what Brian VanGorder and Elston decide to do with the last spot in the huddle should be interesting.