Notre Dame will have a new starting quarterback this year...at least for the season opener after word can down that head coach Brian Kelly has suspended last year's starter Tommy Rees along with senior linebacker Carlo Calabrese for the Navy game as a result of their May 3rd arrest.
Rees and Calabrese were both arrested after fleeing an off-campus party. Rees was charged with two counts of resisting law enforcement, one count of battery and one count of illegal consumption of alcohol. He pleaded guilty on July 23rd of illegal consumption and resisting law enforcement and was sentenced to 330 days of probation and 50 hours of community service.
Calabrese was arrested for misdemeanor intimidation after he allegedly threatened a police officer. His case is still unresolved with his next hearing set for August 20th.
Calabrese's loss is lessened somewhat by the fact that he shared time with fellow senior Dan Fox and played only part-time anyway. The interesting question will be how Rees' suspension affects the decision Kelly has to make on a starting quarterback.
Obviously Rees will not start the first game giving an slight edge to Andrew Hendrix, Everett Golson or Gunner Kiel. What happens after that will be anyone's guess. If Hendrix, Golson, or Kiel struggle, will Kelly turn to Rees or does Rees' one game absence mean his chances to start and play become drastically reduced? It's certainly adds more fuel to the fire.
The Fighting Irish open the season September 1st against Navy in Dublin, Ireland. Practice gets under way this weekend.
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