Austin American-Statesman

Wimbush hopes to fend off other Notre Dame QBs

- By Tom Davis Fort Wayne News-Sentinel Notre Dame Cedric Golden Commentary Golden

For the Notre Dame football fan base, an early glimpse of heralded freshman quarterbac­k Phil Jurkovec can’t come quickly enough.

The Pennsylvan­ia high school star most likely won’t see action in the challengin­g season-opener against Michigan (Sept. 1 in South Bend), but a week later against Ball State his taking the field is almost a guarantee to occur.

The recently passed NCAA rule that allows players to compete in four games yet still maintain a redshirt season will almost assure that Jurkovec is on the field for that entire allotment; however, it probably won’t be more than that because Notre Dame coaches are fully expecting veterans Brandon Wimbush and/or Ian Book to be the primary quarterbac­ks throughout the fall.

— Will the next great Big 12 quarterbac­k please stand up?

For the first time in quite some time, there is a lack of elite signal callers in the college football league that has helped build its offensive repu- tation on the arms of stars like Vince Young, Sam Bradford, Robert Griffin III, Colt McCoy and Jason White.

Don’t forget recent throwers like Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph and Baker Mayfield, who led Oklahoma to within one good half of winning a national championsh­ip in his Heisman Trophy campaign last season.

“There have been some great quarterbac­ks come through the Big 12,” said TCU sophomore quarterbac­k Shawn Robinson. “That’s one of the primary reasons I’m here today. I’m trying to be one of them eventually.”

Robinson’s Horned Frogs need to him to grow up quickly

 ?? RYAN PIERSE / GETTY IMAGES ?? Presnel Kimpembe and Antoine Griezmann of France celebrate Sunday after defeating Croatia 4-2 in the World Cup soccer final at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
RYAN PIERSE / GETTY IMAGES Presnel Kimpembe and Antoine Griezmann of France celebrate Sunday after defeating Croatia 4-2 in the World Cup soccer final at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
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