STARTER
Ian Book
It’s hard for someone to run through the “quarterback-iness” cycle as quickly as Book has. From backup pushing the starter, to bowl game savior, to a specialist managing specific game situations, to the savior needed to replace a poorly performing starter, to the signal-caller that pushed the team to the playoff, to having to shoulder the leadership burden for the first time, to “fans” clamoring for a quarterback that can help the team achieve the new heightened expectations, to the guy with the steady hand who rights the ship during the season, to the captain who fans are thankful is coming back. It seemed Book fit every archetype a quarterback could have. But I think the best part of Book’s story has yet to be written.
He’s 22 starts in, with 13 or 14 more to go hopefully, but Book was the only Notre Dame quarterback during this time period whose big numbers matched the team’s lofty success. By the time he’s done he’ll be first or second in most major passing categories for the Irish and ultimately the only thing that will matter and the only thing that should matter is that he was the guy pulling the trigger when Notre Dame made the transition from occasional high-achiever back to consistent national power.
Departed are Chase Claypool, Cole Kmet and Chris Finke from his arsenal of weapons for 2019. But I have every confidence that regardless of who he is throwing to in 2020, Book will be ready for the challenge of taking the Irish back to the College Football Playoff.
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