QB Ian Book, Notre Dame
HEIGHT: 6-0
WEIGHT: 212
HOMETOWN (HIGH SCHOOL): El Dorado Hills, CA (Oak Ridge)
247 RATING: .8681
STARS: 3
YEAR: Senior
POSITION RANK: 9
CAREER
Passing: 6,118 yards (63.5%), 57 touchdowns, 17 interceptions
Rushing: 1,032 yards (4.2 ypc), 8 touchdowns
2019
Passing: 3,034 yards (60.2%), 34 touchdowns, 6 interceptions
Rushing: 546 yards (4.9 ypc), 4 touchdowns
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Ian Book Breakdown
| STRENGTHS – Poise – Mechanics – Quick release – Decision making – Confidence – Running CONCERNS – Arm strength – Fades away from pressure – Big games |
Notre Dame’s program has seen its fair share of good quarterbacks, and the return of Ian Book adds to the list. The Irish have playoff aspirations for the 2020 season, which is an attainable goal. It just comes down to their performance on the big stage, and that starts with their quarterback.
Book’s a poised player who tends to ignore pressure even when it’s right in his face. He’s a great decision maker who rarely takes unnecessary risks. While you might think that means he’s timid, that’s far from the case. Book makes his decisions with confidence, and that shows in his mechanics. Once, he’s made up his mind, there isn’t any hesitation in his game. His throwing mechanics are generally crisp, and the ball leaves his hands quickly once he’s decided where he’s going to throw.
His accuracy and velocity on short to intermediate throws are good, but his deep ball could use some work. While he’s more comfortable making those short to intermediate throws, he shies away from taking deep shots, sometimes because he doesn’t have the arm strength to get the ball far enough for his receiver to catch. It’s not a matter of confidence, but he can be limited with his natural abilities at times. That can also hinder him when making throws towards the sidelines if pressure’s in his face. At times, he’ll fade away from the pressure, which takes away some distance on those throws. Book’s a capable runner, which could help relieve pressure he faces in the pocket. He just needs to utilize his legs more efficiently.
The biggest thing with Ian Book is his performance in big games. Games like the Michigan game (32% completion) are too frequent when the stakes are the highest. Book must show that he can elevate his game on the biggest stage, and prove that he can help his team reach the goals they’ve set for the 2020 season. The last playoff appearance ended with the Irish getting stomped by Clemson, and another trip to the postseason tournament needs to go better. Luckily for Notre Dame, they have the quarterback that can be great, but he just needs to take the next step.
