Brian Kelly has landed yet another blue-chip quarterback recruit as Notre Dame received a commitment from 2018's top dual-threat quarterback in five-star Phil Jurkovec, as first reported by 247Sports' Steve Wiltfong.
Jurkovec, rated ninth overall in the 2018 class and the No. 2 quarterback behind Trevor Lawrence in the 247Sports Composite, continues a recent tradition of Notre Dame landing top-notch signal callers under Kelly.
The 2011 class was the first full class Kelly recruited -- he took over in December 2009 for Charlie Weis, so he got a late start on the recruiting trail in 2010 -- and since then, Kelly has landed a four-star quarterback recruit in every class except for one, which happens to be the 2016 group.
He started with four-star Everett Golson in 2011 and continued with five-star Gunner Kiel in 2012 (top-rated QB who later transferred to Cincinnati), four-star Malik Zaire in 2013, four-star DeShone Kizer in 2014 and four-star Brandon Wimbush in 2015.
With the exception of Wimbush, who served as Kizer's backup last season after Zaire's injury, all four of Kelly's prized quarterback recruits have gone on to have success at Notre Dame or elsewhere, as Kiel did at Cincinnati after transferring.
The constant presence of top talent creates a great deal of internal competition at Notre Dame, which has certainly led to quarterback controversy -- and a pair of transfers -- but it also has forced the Irish signal-callers to remain sharp because a capable replacement is always waiting.
Zaire's emergence late in 2014 led to Golson's departure as a graduate transfer to Florida State. When Zaire went down with injury early in the 2015 campaign, Kizer stepped in and threw for nearly 3,000 yards. Zaire and Kizer are now locked in a quarterback battle heading into fall camp, which has become the norm for Notre Dame football in recent years.
That culture of competition at the quarterback position will continue into the future, long after the latest duo to vie for the starting job in Zaire and Kizer leave. Even thought the 2016 class did not net a four or five-star quarterback, Kelly already has a 2017 commitment from four-star Avery Davis and now adds a 2018 commitment from Jurkovec to a roster that could have Wimbush entering his senior season that year.
