Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Spring practice starts: March 23
Spring game: April 16

When Brian Kelly looks back on how Notre Dame finished the 2010 season with a flourish, he sees more than just an improved defense and the clutch play of Tommy Rees.

Kelly sees how the team finally began to understand the way he wanted them to practice, how to take care of their bodies and the subtleties of his system. All the things that take a while to jell in the first year of a new coaching staff. That alone would cause Kelly to be excited about getting his second year started this spring.

"The players now have our nomenclature down and they understand the offense," he said last month. "Now we're really going to fit what we do to our personnel. Year Two becomes more about the players than the plays."

And Kelly has an awful lot of experienced players to work with this spring. Starters are expected to return at every position on offense except right guard, while the defense returns the nucleus of a unit that dominated down the stretch. Expectations are always high for the Irish, but after winning four straight to close out 2010 -- including victories over Utah, USC and Miami -- this team might actually have the talent and depth to fulfill them.

"We're so far along relative to where we were last year," Kelly said. "The players know what to do, how to do it. They've got weight on their back already, and we're hitting the ground running."

Like any team, though, the Irish have some issues to iron out this spring. Here's a look at a few things to watch during the 15 spring sessions:

Quarterback competition: All Irish eyes will be focused on the quarterback situation, though it may not resolve itself until the fall. Rees started the final four games and won them all, showing poise and a quick release. Dayne Crist started every game until getting knocked out by a knee injury against Tulsa. For the second straight spring, he will likely be limited and protected during contact drills.

"We think we'll be able to do similar kinds of things [as last year] and keep him involved in competing," Kelly said.

Nate Montana transferred and Luke Massa is moving to receiver, clearing up the pack a little bit. But Notre Dame is also high on Andrew Hendrix and early-enrolled freshman Everett Golson, both of whom can run better than Rees or Crist. Kelly said last month he had a clear vision of what style he wanted to play and who could do it, and though he did not disclose details, he said it would be evident in the spring. Crist still has the edge, but he may have to prove he's healthy -- and the best option -- all the way into fall practice.

Carry conundrum: After senior tailback Armando Allen suffered a season-ending injury, Kelly mixed and matched with Cierre Wood and Robert Hughes with decent results. Hughes is gone, and it remains to be seen whether the talented Wood can truly perform as an every-down, workhorse back. Kelly hinted last month that receiver Theo Riddick could switch back to his original tailback position to bolster the backfield. Can senior Jonas Gray provide some help? For this team to reach the next level, it will need a strong running game.

Secondary concerns: The defense returns a lot of experience at most spots, but not in the defensive backfield. The Irish have only two veteran corners on the roster. Receiver Bennett Jackson will move to corner in the spring, and the coaching staff hopes Lo Wood, a signee in last year's recruiting class, is ready to take on a role. A healthy Jamoris Slaughter should help at safety. This is a position that needs to avoid injuries and find contributors this spring.

New and relatively new faces: Fans are eager to hear about early enrollees from this year's class, including Golson, defensive end Aaron Lynch and linebacker Ishaq Williams. Each has a chance to contribute right away. And don't forget about last year's recruits who spent a year on the sidelines getting ready. The Irish hope to get some production at nose tackle from Louis Nix, who reported way overweight last year. We mentioned Wood at cornerback, but linebacker Danny Spond and Justin Utupo and receiver Daniel Smith are other second-year freshmen who could make some spring noise.