Notre Dame Football: 5 reasons Brandon Wimbush has surpassed Kizer
By Jacob Wilson
5. Wimbush has greater chemistry with coaches
In one of the more shocking developments of last year’s NFL Draft, Irish head coach Brian Kelly verbally belittled Kizer’s maturity. Despite voicing support for Kizer’s decision to move to the NFL, Kelly also added “He should still be in college… He needs more time to grow in so many areas, not just on the field but off the field,” in an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio.
Kelly’s comments came just a couple weeks prior to the draft, a move many experts expected to shake up Kizer’s position on draft boards. However, these comments were concerning for more than just Kizer’s camp. Notre Dame fans began to understandably question Brian Kelly’s ability to get along with his quarterbacks, and the departures of Everett Golson and Malik Zaire didn’t help.
Fast forward to today and Kelly has taken a more hands-off approach in terms of his involvement with Wimbush. He has since relieved himself of offensive play-calling, handing the torch off to new offensive coordniator Chip Long. Kelly now oversees the big picture things with Long being more involved in Wimbush’s development.
The perfect amount of Brian Kelly has served Wimbush well this season, as he has seemed to develop a good relationship with his respective coaches. While his rapport with his wide receivers could certainly improve, the junior has certainly excelled in building a firm foundation with those calling the plays.