Notre Dame Football: Biggest Storylines Heading into Fall Camp

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — It may still be July for a few more precious hours, but the calendar will soon turn and Notre Dame football will open up its fall camp next Friday.

We’re roughly five weeks away from the season opener against Texas, under the lights at Notre Dame Stadium. So with camp just days away, let’s look at the biggest Irish storylines heading into the start of fall practice, when the squad begins its quest for, well, what head coach Brian Kelly said.

Malik Zaire

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Regardless of the logistics—who, when, how—quarterback talk was going to dominate Notre Dame’s offseason and fall camp.

With Everett Golson more than 900 miles away in Tallahassee, redshirt sophomore quarterback Malik Zaire grabs the bulk of that attention.

The last time we saw Zaire, the left-hander completed eight of 14 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns—including a 68-yard strike to Will Fuller—in the spring game in April. He carried four times for 40 yards while splitting time with Golson.

How will Zaire look after a summer spent preparing as the starting quarterback? Is he ready to lead Notre Dame as a first-year starter with limited experience?

Offensive Identity

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

We likely won’t get a full taste of what to expect from Notre Dame’s offense through fall practice, but the unit will begin to take shape in the coming weeks.

First, new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Sanford joins an offensive brain trust that includes Kelly and associate head coach Mike Denbrock. What adjustments will Sanford bring?

Moreover, with Zaire at the controls in the Music City Bowl against LSU, Notre Dame’s offense rushed 51 times for 263 yards. Zaire himself tallied 96 yards on 22 attempts, including one score.

We’ll see how much of that was derived from the opponent and timing and how much carries over into the 2015 season as a whole.

Defensive Growth

Joe Raymond/Associated Press

It’s no secret that Irish defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder’s defense was shredded down the stretch in 2014, as injuries took their toll and the Irish were gashed by the likes of North Carolina, Navy, Arizona State, Northwestern and USC.

Beyond health, Notre Dame needs improvement. After up-and-down seasons in 2014, safeties Max Redfield and Elijah Shumate drew plenty of praise in the spring from coaches and teammates alike. Can they continue to approach their high ceilings?

Plenty of true freshmen were thrust into duty in 2014. We’ll see how long the strides are made by sophomores Nyles Morgan, Andrew Trumbetti, Jay Hayes and Greer Martini, to name a few.

KeiVarae Russell and Ishaq Williams

Joe Raymond/Associated Press

We’re nearing the one-year anniversary of the news that headlined much of Notre Dame’s 2014 campaign. In mid-August last year, Notre Dame announced its investigation into suspected academic dishonesty. We’ll bypass a rehashing of the details, but cornerback KeiVarae Russell and defensive lineman Ishaq Williams returned to campus this summer.

Russell’s path is straightforward, as the athletic and loquacious corner will slide back into one of the starting spots on the perimeter, where he logged 26 starts in his first two seasons under the dome.

“He’s an alpha player,” Kelly said of Russell during the summer. “He’s got that warrior personality where he will hold others accountable. You add him to the mix with a Joe Schmidt. And you add him to a Jarrett Grace. That changes the personality of our defense from what it was late in the year when we really didn’t have those personalities on the field.

“And we all know what he has from an athletic standpoint.”

In June, Kelly said Williams was back in school at Notre Dame and participating in team workouts. While Kelly confidently said Williams will receive his degree from Notre Dame, the head coach said football is “a lot more complicated” and regards “NCAA eligibility.”

Joe Raymond/Associated Press

Other storylines to watch include the running back position, where Greg Bryant has reportedly been suspended to start the season; the new-look special teams without Kyle Brindza; and linebacker, where a healthy Schmidt and a healthy Grace could change the complexion of the entire defense.

And, no, Notre Dame’s independence won’t be the top storyline in South Bend.

All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Mike Monaco is the lead Notre Dame writer for Bleacher Report. Follow @MikeMonaco_ on Twitter.