With the season winding down for the Fighting Irish there is a question that’s just as big as whether Charlie Weis will return.
What will the future be for Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate?
Both are the main guns for the Notre Dame offense, and both are eligible to enter the NFL draft. Charlie Weis and athletic director Jack Swarbrick are scheduled to sit down with both Clausen and Tate and talk to them about their future.
Clausen is more likely to end his career at ND and join the draft simply because he already a projected 1st rounder. For Clausen, joining the draft is the smartest choice. Clausen has been the star of the ND team this year. He has, week after week, shown his Heisman capabilities. Maybe the most convincing is that out of other QB’s with 1st round potential, that means Tebow and McCoy, Clausen is more NFL ready than the other two.
Clausen is a polished QB that knows how to make good choices when under pressure. He has both a cannon and an accurate arm. An arm that has not thrown more than 2 INTS this season. Why risk having a bad year next year? Clausen should make the smart choice and enter the NFL draft.
It’s not as easy as a decision for junior Golden Tate.
No doubt Tate has had a great season, but many people see his size, 5’11″, as a big disadvantage. It’s true that being tall is a huge advantage for NFL receivers, but that doesn’t mean a player can’t have a successful career being smaller than average receiver height. If you want an example look at Carolina’s Steve Smith.
It’s a lot harder to predict Tate’s decision. It could really go either way, but my guess is that if Clausen goes so will Tate. Who knows who will be ND’s QB next year, if Clausen does commit to the draft. That decision won’t be made until next season’s training camp. Tate might be a good receiver but not knowing who will be throwing to you next year is a too big of a risk to take.
My guess is either both will stay, but if one goes so will the other one.
**********
* – Jimmy Clausen / Golden Tate photo credit: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images via Life.com
About Tyler Juranovich
