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5 best fits for Golson 1. Texas Week One in South Bend? 2. Wisconsin Not another Russell Wilson, but the O could use another option. 3. Oregon State Fits exactly what Gary Andersen likes to do. 4. Boston College A better Tyler Murphy? 5. Kansas State Running ability and experience fit nicely into the attack.

2015 Schedule Sept. 5 Texas Sept. 12 at Virginia Sept. 19 Georgia Tech Sept. 26 UMass Oct. 3 at Clemson Oct. 10 Navy Oct. 17 USC Oct. 24 OPEND DATE Oct. 31 at Temple Nov. 7 at Pitt Nov. 14 Wake Forest Nov. 21 Boston College Nov. 28 at Stanford

Everett Golson was one play away from being front and center in the 2014 Heisman chase.

Coming off a magical rabbit-out-of-hat win over Stanford and a tremendous performance against North Carolina, he had unbeaten Florida State dead and buried until a flag on what would’ve been the game-winning touchdown pass out the kibosh on the fun.

And now he’s done, announcing his transfer from Notre Dame to close out a most interesting career.

Even with an academic issue that cost him his 2013 season, and turnovers that cost him his job over the second half of the 2014 campaign, Golson is still a tremendous college talent who’ll be a terrific catch for some team in search of a free agent quarterback like Texas or Oregon State. There’s the talent and spark in Golson to be a missing part of a puzzle.

Now the Malik Zaire era will kick in and the quarterback controversy of the offseason is over, but it was an interesting ride.

Golson will be remembered mostly for taking the Irish to the brink of a national title, even if he didn’t so much carry the offense to the 2013 BCS championship game as much as he sort of did what was needed when he absolutely had to.

Manti Te’o and the defense did most of the heavy lifting, but it was Golson, despite being just a freshman, who was the unflappable rock in close game after close game, coming through late in several tight wins. When the world around the Irish was collapsing against Alabama, Golson kept balling, finishing with 270 yards and a touchdown with a pick as one of the team’s few positives.

But Zaire appears to be ready.

The talented junior looked like the next big thing coming of out of spring football last season, but Brian Kelly went with Golson until the turnovers started coming. After going 12-of-15 for 96 yards with a touchdown, and running 22 times for 96 yards and a score, in the bowl win over LSU, he showed just how good he could be when trusted with the offense.

Notre Dame should be strong this season no matter who’s at quarterback, even with three starters gone off the offensive line. The receiving corps should be dominant, Tarean Folston is a terrific back to work around, and Greg Bryant isn’t bad, either.

The defense that went through massive injury issues last season is experienced and ready to roll now after losing just one key senior – CB Cody Riggs. From all-star linebacker Jaylon Smith, to excellent tacklers Max Redfield and Elijah Shumate in the secondary, the pieces are in place for a night-and-day different season from the D.

And a sink-or-swim year from Malik Zaire.