NOTRE DAME, Ind. -- Saturday, Notre Dame's football team practiced at the Loftus Center testing their strengths and giving the coaches the opportunity to decide who will get the top leadership spot.

Time is what Notre Dame's football team needs.

Head Coach Brian Kelly said spring practice is an opportunity for this young team to mature.



Everett Golson and Malik Zaire are battling for the starting quarterback position.  



Golson just recently made his return to Notre Dame and is ready to put the cheating scandal behind him and get on the field and play.

"He is very coachable, communicates well with me, he is extremely competitive, and that is a good thing," says Coach Kelly.



Golson is working with a whole new team this year and has to adjust not only to new plays but new players.



"I don't think he is feeling comfortable yet, no," says Kelly.  "I think he is still trying to find that.  He doesn't have any of the guys, he doesn't have TJ, Daniels is not here, all the guys that he had a little bit of that timing with, he is working with all new guys."



Golson's top competitor, Malik Zaire, already has hours of practice with this team behind him.



"Malik has more timing with some of these guys than he does," says Kelly.  "These are two competitive kids, Malik wants to beat out Everett.  But it's a positive atmosphere. He is just a highly competitive kid and extremely confident in his ability."



With no definitive choice just yet for the position, Kelly says time will tell.  But he sees Golson working to be ready to play come fall.



"He has definitely shown himself ready to compete in some of those areas, but I want to see him ready in all of those areas and he has done some really good things, he is going to make it interesting," says Kelly.