Everett Golson is back at Notre Dame, and ready to try and reclaim the starting quarterback position that was once unquestionably his.

A lot of college football followers expected the fifth-year senior to transfer out of South Bend this winter.

There were two reasons to make this assumption. Golson had a toxic year in 2014, struggling with turnovers to such a large extent that he was publicly chastised and ultimately benched by head coach Brian Kelly. Secondly, Golson will be playing the coming season as a graduate student athlete, meaning that he could've changed programs and still played immediately.

The LSU Tigers were rumored to be making a hard push for his services, but it appears ND is where Golson's heart belongs. However, sophomore QB Malik Zaire enters spring practice as the favorite to take the starting gig. Golson has his work cut out for him.

Coach Brian Kelly expressed admiration that Golson was up for the challenge.

"He has bought in 100 percent to competing for the quarterback position here at Notre Dame," Kelly said, per the Associated Press. Now, whatever that ends up being, if that end result is he's the backup or that he's the sole starter or that he's sharing time, he has no control over that. What he has control over is that he's committed to competing for the job."

If Golson can show flashes of his 2012 form, the first team spot should be his. That was the year he led the Fighting Irish to an undefeated regular season record and a spot in the BCS National Championship Game.