Joe Raymond / AP

Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis has accomplished a lot in spring practice, but there is still more work to be done before the season opener, writes Eric Hansen of NBCSports.com.

POSTSCIPT

Weis will exit spring with some dangling issues. Among them:

Is quarterback Jimmy Clausen a true leader or a manufactured one?

Is wide receiver Goodman, who throws the ball father than either Clausen or backup Crist, a viable option at QB if something were to happen to Nos. 1 and/or 2?

Is the return game fixed?

Is kicker Brandon Walker past his inconsistencies?

The good news is the list is short. There are freshmen on the way. And the darkness and doubt the enveloped Weis last November have largely dissipated.

His next steps will be the most defining of his career.

And Weis’ response to all this? He just smiles, like he knows something you don’t know. Not in an arrogant way, but in a calm, confident one.

“It’s funny I had this conversation with Coach Parcells the other day,” Weis said of his friend and mentor. “He asked about the defense. Of course, he would care less about the offense. But he asked about the defense and says, ‘How are you going to be?’

“I said well, ‘We’re experienced in the secondary, we’re young up front, and we’ve got a bunch of guys who can run.’ ”

“And he says, ‘Man does that go against the prototype at Notre Dame.’

“I said, ‘Look it, coach,’ ” Weis said. “ ‘We’re going to be young, but we’ve got a bunch of guys that can run. Let’s let it all play out, but we’ve been very encouraged.’ ”

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Joe Raymond / AP

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