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SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly says defensive end Ishaq Williams still has some NCAA hurdles to clear before he is able to play for the Fighting Irish.
Williams was dismissed from Notre Dame last fall after being investigated for possible academic dishonesty and still has NCAA hurdles to clear before officially rejoining the team.
''I know he's back in school because he told me, he's in workouts because I've seen him,'' Kelly said before a Football 101 event hosted by The Kelly Cares Foundation, a charity founded by the Fighting Irish coach and his wife, Paqui.
''Those two things I know for sure. All the other stuff is NCAA eligibility stuff that is a lot more complicated. It has to do with missed terms and hours and appeals and things like that. A lot more complicated.''
Senior cornerback KeiVarae Russell was dismissed from school along with Williams, but is expected to return to the team this season. While Russell attended spring classes back home in Washington during his time away, Williams did not, apparently adding to the questions surrounding his status with the NCAA.
Kelly says Williams remains on scholarship, but if he is ultimately ruled ineligible by the NCAA, it would not count toward the maximum 85 scholarships allowed.
''(Williams) knows there's a hill to climb there,'' Kelly said. ''I'm not here to paint any pictures, that it's this chance or that chance. All I know is, he's going to be back in school and he's going to get his degree from Notre Dame. If he plays football, we'll be ecstatic for him. But the bottom line is, he's going to get his degree from Notre Dame.''
Williams and Russell were just two of several losses on the Irish defense last year, including most notably, injuries to middle linebacker Joe Schmidt (broken ankle) and nose guard Jarron Jones (Lisfranc foot) during the season. Kelly said both are making encouraging progress during the team's offseason trainings activities, which will include a trip to Chicago on Wednesday to observe the Bears' OTA sessions.
Kelly also spoke of quarterback Malik Zaire, newly minted as the team's unquestioned starter after Everett Golson's graduate student transfer to Florida State. That leaves redshirt freshman DeShone Kizer and incoming true freshman Brandon Wimbush as backups, but Kelly said their lack of experience won't change his plans for the athletic runner Zaire.
''He's a pretty smart kid,'' Kelly said. ''He knows how to protect himself. We feel like he has to be who he is and our offense has to be structured around what his strengths are. He has to be part of the running game, and the running game will be as effective as him being one of the options that we have.''
