Notre Dame's four quarterbacks split reps over the course of 15 practices this spring, learning -- and, in some cases, re-learning -- the playbook from Page 1 as they battled for the chance to take the first snap Sept. 1.

Now comes the hard part.

No contact and no coaches will be present for the offseason workouts and drills each signal-caller will take part in. But it is during the three months between now and the start of preseason practices that the seeds will likely be planted for a starter to emerge come fall.

"A lot of it falls on your shoulders because the coaches aren't with you," Tommy Rees said. "We do a lot of stuff all week, and I think you have opportunities to grow and become a leader on the team. It's a lot of weight training and a lot of time to get better and physically get better. I think that's something that everyone's got to focus on."

Rees has been down this road before, and, given the 16 career starts under his belt, will approach the offseason competition as the guy to beat, regardless of the reps he shared with the other three this spring. But the staff wants each of the candidates to view himself as a front-runner in this wide-open competition.

"Absolutely, that's what [offensive coordinator Chuck] Martin said: 'If you don't go into it thinking you're the starter, you really have no shot,'" Andrew Hendrix said. "'Every single rep you take, every single piece of film you watch, you have to prepare to be the starter in the fall or else you really have no shot.' So it's really for all four of us just preparing this summer to be the starter, and at the end of the day it will make the final starter the best it can possibly be."

Hendrix said he has come a long way throwing the ball and has done a better job of understanding why he makes certain mistakes, whereas in the past many were the result of confusion. Still, improving discipline and decision making becomes all the more difficult in the summer without the threat of defenders.

Head coach Brian Kelly said throughout the spring that the quarterback position is an art and a science. Everett Golson, the only of the four without a turnover in the spring game, has the art part down with his playmaking ability. But like every other candidate hoping to direct an offense that was turnover prone a year ago, he knows eliminating bad plays is every bit as important.

"Just focus on the science," Golson said of his summer plan. "I feel as if I work on that and develop that as I should, I think [Kelly will] gain more trust in me and I think that's everything when I'm on the field."