The Notre Dame roster movement continued on Monday with some significant news impacting the 2021 Fighting Irish. Notre Dame landed a huge graduate transfer quarterback – Jack Coan of Wisconsin – adding a veteran to their quarterback who has started a Big 10 Championship Game and a Rose Bowl.
Coan was Wisconsin’s starting quarterback in 2019 before injures cost him his 2020 season. Graham Wertz filled in for Coan this season with mixed results. Coan entered the transfer portal at the end of December.
Coan started all 14 games for the Badgers in 2019, throwing 18 touchdowns to just 5 interceptions. Against Ohio State in the Big 10 Championship, Coan completed 17 of 33 passes for 232 yards. He also ran for two touchdowns in the Badgers 34-21 loss to the Buckeyes. Against Michigan, Coan completed 13 of 16 passes for 128 yards while rushing for another two touchdowns.
Wisconsin generally asks their quarterbacks to be more game managers while relying heavily on the run. Coan ended the 2019 season, completing nearly 70% of his passes for 2,727 yards in his first full year starting. He was on the Davey O’Brien watch list before injuring his foot in camp before the 2020 season.
With Ian Book headed to the NFL, the quarterback room for the Irish was going to be very inexperienced between junior to be Brendan Clark, sophomore Drew Pyne, and incoming freshmen Tyler Buchner and Ron Powlus. With injury concerns clouding Clark’s future, adding a graduate transfer at quarterback made a ton of sense.
Coan will compete with Pyne, Clark, and Buchner for the starting job and would appear to be the favorite to win the job. It’s hard to imagine him committing to Notre Dame over Tennessee and Rutgers if he didn’t think he would be starting for Notre Dame on Labor Day weekend.
Coan was familiar with Notre Dame before his transfer. He initially committed to Notre Dame for lacrosse before he became a 4-star recruit for football. Rivals ranked Coan as the #241 overall prospect in the class of 2017.
As the current 2021 Notre Dame schedule stands, the Irish are set to face Wisconsin on September 25 at Soldier Field.
Greg will have a more in-depth overview of Coan’s game shortly.
Who knows. For sure Book is going to try for the NFL or perhaps the CFL. He’s short and that limits him. He’s smart but he needs to bulk up a hair so he isn’t afraid to take a hit.
So this QB could be something. Truly losing Phil J. is a bummer. He did shine at BC.
Tommy Reese needs to look at Sarkisian and a few others to learn how to get creative in the scheme. Because frankly that’s what’s always tripped up BK teams. The offense is predictable. Either the scheme works or it doesn’t and there haven’t been surprises in BK’s time there. The talent and solid game management allow them to win games. ( well and some great defenses ). But BK’s offenses have been challenged since he got there. And they’ve never had the prototype QB for the kind of offense they should run. Physically this guy fits the bill.
But to repeat, who knows. The defense should be as good if not better next year. Not so sure overall about the offense.
You know, it’s sad. At one time Ronny actually put up a fight. Now, he just gets bitch slapped by everyone and only comes back for more.
Oh, well, to each his own. I’m not a masochist but I guess Burgy likes taking it more than giving it these days.
Stay classy, Ronny boy!
I have never seen Rhonda ever make any worthwhile point. And whether she ever “fought back”, who cares?
Give the ball to the 5 star kid Buchner from day 1 and let him learn on the fly. Don’t waste Buchner’s eligibility. ND is not winning a NC next year with Coan at quarterback. Dont waste precious game time experience with Coan at quarterback. Give all the playing time to Buchner and see what he can do.
Agree completely Jeff
“….With Ian Book headed to the NFL….”
You read it here first, folks! Because where else would anyone be so effing blindly delusional??
Just watched some Jack Coan videos. What a difference vis-s-vis Book, night and day. Stands tall, fluid motion, no excessive wind-up,not afraid to throw downfield. Nice take-off and run speed when necessary, nice grab Kelly. I’m liking it.
A few positive thoughts from this addition…
1. certainly rules out Book coming back, 2. might make recruiting 4-5 star WR’s a possibility, 3. will make using our existing speedy receivers a definite, which heretofore, were excluded ’cause Book couldn’t throw fast enough or far enough to warrant putting them in.
Did I mention, I’m happy.
Brian Kelly —- mystical offensive genius, and extreme developer of low rated QBs —– kicks the accountability can down the road with the pro-league “one-year rental” equivalent: the grad transfer.
Low risk, proven & reliable, very little coaching required.
Hooray, ND football is saved.
Pay the man.
Pretty, much “david”.
I believed I used the expression “BK’s new security blanket” and I didn’t mean that as a well-calculated move on his part for depth at the QB position. No, what BK wants is someone to throw in and give him a chance to win 9-10 games with as little effort on his part as possible. There are more important things in life, like cashing in ND’s generous paychecks!
I don’t mind adding an experienced QB that looks like he has some skills. But BK just can’t hand him the starting QB job without competition. Unless Trevor Lawrence wanted to bypass the NFL and transfer to play at ND for one season (I’m obviously speaking hyperbolically here), then the QB competition should be wide open this year. I’m just not sure BK has any idea how to adequately handle such a job!
David, Really what the hell is your problem. Did someone from Notre Dame beat your ass? Or did you think you could get in and get wholly rejected? By the Band?
I don’t think anyone here thinks Brian Kelly is a genius. Several of us are old enough to have seen Holtz, Devine and Parseghian. Several of us have relatives who were around for the Rockne and Leahy eras. Also, most on this site know what Notre Dame is all about. Ever been to the campus David? Ever read about the history? Know what the oldest building is? Any of the traditions? If not, then shut up.
Unfortunately Football is so much more of a business and now that the Senate and House are the same party, it’s likely that Corey Booker’s bill will pass this spring.
I really like this pickup. Watching him play for Wisconsin I remember him being a very good passer showing strong accuracy making all the throws and showed to be a pretty fast runner. Now you just have to build around him. Notredame needs some of these young receivers to play, develop and live up to their hype, Jordan Johnson, Braden Lenzy, Austin, Styles, etc.
Wisconsin generally asks their quarterbacks to be more game managers while relying heavily on the run.
Exactly what ND will ask him to do. Anyone hoping for ND to open up the playbook and play the you g explosive WRs just got their answer.
Welcome Jack!
You’ll find the posters on here to be very optimistic and encouraging.
What’s it all about Elfie (AKA Ronnie)? BTW, didn’t you mean to say ‘posers’, like yourself not ‘posters’?
Hey did ya get that $5 bet down on ND, we covered?
Rhonda is the Welcome Wagon hostess ’round here…..wink at her only if you have good prescription coverage.
So is Rhonda your pet name for Burghy? What does he call you when you are in your mom’s basement?