Tommy Rees

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly has added three players to his recruiting class of 2010 with the commitments of defensive end Bruce Heggie, athlete Derek Roback and quarterback Luke Massa. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound Massa, from Cincinnati's St. Xavier High, becomes the third quarterback to join the class. He joins Andrew Hendrix, a product of Cincinnati's Moeller High, and Tommy Rees, who already is enrolled at ND. Massa previously had been committed to the University of Cincinnati. Heggie, a 6-4, 240-pounder from Mount Dora, Fla., played tight end and defensive end in high school but will play defense for the Irish.

Sophomore QB Andrew Hendrix made the most triumphant debut for a Notre Dame QB since Ron Powlus' four-touchdown arrival in 1994. Before we go anointing Hendrix with two Heismans…let's not forget he's NOT the starter, and barring something unforeseen, he WON'T be at any point this season. But he absolutely should be a part of Notre Dame's game plan for the final six games. Hendrix has, what Tommy Rees doesn't: Speed. And speed kills in college football.  He was averaging 7 yards per carry BEFORE that 78 yard run raised the average to ridiculous!

NOTRE DAME - Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said the starting quarterback will be a “game-time decision” Saturday against BYU. Kelly wants to monitor Everett Golson over the next 48 hours before putting him in the game, after the sophomore suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter against Stanford. "I don't think there's a cookie-cutter approach to concussions,” Kelly said. “You want to see how they handle exertion. You want to see how they handle all the things leading up to -- film study and watching and then getting back on the field.

NOTRE DAME - Gunner Kiel has a chance to be the starting quarterback at Notre Dame.  But day one of spring practice is all about baby steps for the Irish freshman. "For him it's just understanding the language", Brian Kelly said when asked of his impressions of Kiel's first day.  "Right now that's a bit overwhelming for him.  But when we can get him comfortable, he's got all the tools". That much was evident to players and coaches alike.  Kiel spent most of day one participating in individual drills, while his more experienced teammates Tommy Rees and Andrew Hendrix split the first team reps and Everett Golson worked with the 2nd team offense.

Tommy Rees, or Andrew Hendrix?  That's the question Irish fans are asking as the team prepares for Thursday's bowl game with Florida State.  Brian Kelly has already anointed tommy Rees the starter, but not necessarily the closer. Kelly will use both quarterbacks in the bowl game.  And with a whole month to prepare, he's had ample time to get Andrew Hendrix up to speed. “He's worked with the first unit, he didn't do much first unit work when we were using him as a situational player," Kelly says of Hendrix.

Brian Kelly delivered a pretty accurate assessment of his team after the Blue-Gold game Saturday, and the statement rings particularly true for his quarterbacks. "We've got enough players to compete, but we've got to go a long way. " Saturday's public scrimmage gave us plenty of reasons to be excited, but enough reasons to be worried as well.  Tommy Rees and Andrew Hendrix each led impressive scoring drives...but both also threw head scratching interceptions.  To quote Kelly, "We've seen this movie before.

SOUTH BEND - Notre Dame linebacker Carlo Calabrese was charged Wednesday with one count of misdemeanor intimidation for allegedly threatening a South Bend police officer during a party bust on May 3 in South Bend. READ CHARGING DOCUMENTS HERE Calabrese and Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees were both arrested at the party in the 700 block of North Notre Dame Avenue. Calabrese, 21, is accused of saying to a South Bend officer, “my people will get you” as Rees was taken away in a police car. Rees, meanwhile, faces two counts of resisting law enforcement, one count of battery, and one count of minor consumption of alcohol, all misdemeanors.

SOUTH BEND - Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees pleaded guilty Monday to illegal consumption by a minor and resisting arrest in a St. Joseph County court, as part of a plea agreement in connection to his May 3rd arrest. Both are misdemeanor offenses. Per the plea agreement, Rees receives a 30-day suspended sentence, 11 months of administrative probation, 50 hours of community service, and he must write a letter of apology to the officers involved.  The state has agreed to dismiss a charge of resisting law enforcement, a Class C misdemeanor, and battery, a Class A misdemeanor.

Montana to Montana? By all accounts it was nothing more than an informal meeting Wednesday between University of Montana head football coach Robin Pflugrad and former Notre Dame quarterback great Joe Montana. No one is willing to connect the dots on the record yet, but the meeting would suggest that the Irish icon might be shopping for a new football home for son Nate, a senior-to-be at Notre Dame who finds himself sinking on the Irish quarterback depth chart. If the Montana family is serious about the Montana football program, the talks will have to escalate quickly into formal ones.

As Brian Kelly opens up his second training camp at Notre Dame, he says he's most excited about the depth on his football team. "Our guys know what to do.  We were a lot more efficient out there today (than last year).  We have work to do getting our players to finish plays on a consistent basis. " The attention will be on the quarterbacks this training camp, more so than normal.   There's a four-man competition for the starting job, and the first shot goes to veterans, senior  Dayne Crist and sophomore Tommy Rees.