The Notre Dame football team is coming off an abysmal 4-8 season and will have a new man under center in 2017.

Expectations did not turn into reality a year ago for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish as a slow start to the 2016 season never reversed course and the Irish experienced their worst season since 2007 when they went 3-9 under then-head coach Charlie Weis.

Like that 2007 team, Notre Dame was coming off a 10-win season the year prior and had high expectations entering the following year. Unfortunately for the Irish, an opening day loss to the Texas Longhorns in double overtime in 2016 was just the beginning of a long ride for them and the waste of a season for star quarterback DeShone Kizer.

This year, it will be a new, yet brief era at the quarterback position. Kizer is gone and performing well so far with the Cleveland Browns and former backup Malik Zaire has transferred down south to the Florida Gators, leaving the job to former four-star prospect Brandon Wimbush.

It is a no-brainer entering 2017 that Wimbush will be head coach Brian Kelly’s go-to guy. The Irish will look to get back on track this season after just four wins a year ago and it starts with a dangerous opening day game against the Temple Owls.

🏈 It's a new season. A new team mentality.@NDFootball QB Brandon Wimbush talks training camp at Culver Academies. 👀@BrandonW_7 pic.twitter.com/rT4cZpO9u0 — The Fighting Irish 😷 (@FightingIrish) August 5, 2017

Wimbush will have big shoes to fill as Kizer leaves Notre Dame after a near 3000 yard season, along with 26 touchdowns to just nine interceptions. It won’t be easy, but Wimbush can and will take the Irish to new heights, a place Kizer could not.

Here are five reasons why the Irish have much to look forward to with Wimbush under center and why he will ultimately end up better than Kizer.