Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2019 Notre Dame Football Preview
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BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 53 in 10 starts while leading Notre Dame to its first-ever CFP appearance, embracing his place as the face of the program is the next logical step of his career development. It's time to be heard and not just seen. "When I got the [starting] job, I tried to be the best leader possible," Book said last December when he was named team MVP for 2018. "But at the same time, I didn't try to take everything crazy serious. I tried to have fun out there with the guys and bring that spark. "It's something I've pushed myself to do." Book was pushed especially hard this off- season by Notre Dame quarterbacks coach Tom Rees, who played under center at Notre Dame from 2010-13 with the same quiet calmness that Book does. Similar demeanors and styles are turning this student-teacher re- lationship into one built more on friendship and trust than X's and O's. For Book, Rees is a confidant, a mentor, a sounding board and a psychiatrist, with first- hand knowledge of what it takes to survive at Notre Dame. One night, Rees and Book might be log- ging late hours studying game film in prepa- ration for an upcoming opponent. The next, maybe the student and teacher are out for pizza to watch an NFL game. Some other night, you might find Book over at Rees' place, hanging out and chatting about subject matters other than football. "Ian feels comfortable enough to come to me with things about school, about his per- sonal life," Rees said. "And I think it helps that I have gone through some of the same things. It is something I can relate to." Theirs is a unique relationship that's fostered because they are only about six years apart in age, and have lived and played through common circumstances. Both el- evated unexpectedly from backup to starter during the season, and each was a valuable cog during a 12-0 regular season. "Him being in the same situation when he played, it has brought us closer," Book said of Rees. "He understands what it's like to step in." And Kelly noted the familiarity and knowledge Rees provides is at the root of Book's quick ascent last season and his poised demeanor heading into this one. "The roller coaster ride of being the quar- terback at Notre Dame," Kelly said, "Tommy has taken that trip." "Mutual trust," was the operative reply when Kelly and the other Irish offensive assistants were asked what made Book a willing student and quick study both last year and this spring. "One of the biggest reasons why we're so close," Rees explained of his understudy, "is that [Book] trusts what I'm telling him and I trust him. As long as there is a mutual level of trust and respect, we'll have nothing but great times." ✦ Second Season Survival As Brian Kelly enters his 10th season on the job as Irish head coach, his harshest criticism might be that Notre Dame's quarterbacks have shown little continuity or consistency under his guidance. Be it through injury, suspension, benching or transfer, Kelly has never had the same starting quarterback through two full consecutive seasons since he has been at Notre Dame. When senior Ian Book makes the opening day start against Louisville on Labor Day, Kelly will have had a different opening-day starter at QB in eight of the last nine seasons. The timeline of quarterbacks during the Kelly era have been turbulent: • With Jimmy Clausen and former Irish head coach Charlie Weis out the door after the 2009 season, sophomore Dayne Crist was the clear choice as Kelly's first opening day starter in 2010. An ACL injury in game nine cut Crist's season short and made current Notre Dame quarterbacks coach, Tom Rees — then a true freshman backup — the next man at the throttle. Crist also started the opener in 2011, but was benched at halftime of that game with the Irish trailing 16-0. Rees took over and Crist was almost never heard from again at Notre Dame, opting to play his final year at Kansas as a graduate transfer under Weis. • Everett Golson, a sophomore, supplanted Rees as the starter in 2012 and unexpectedly helped guide the team to an undefeated regular season — with some solid relief aid from Rees on several occasions — and a place in the national championship game. Academic issues cost Golson all of the 2013 season and again made Rees the full-time starter. Golson returned to the starting post in 2014 but faltered significantly during a four-game losing streak in Novem - ber, ultimately getting benched and then transferring to Florida State for his final season. • Enter Malik Zaire. The dual-threat sophomore took game MVP honors after a 31-28 upset of No. 22 LSU in the 2014 Music City Bowl in which he started in place of Golson, who also helped in passing situations. Zaire then starred in a 38-3 rout of Texas in the 2015 season opener that brought some Heisman hype and title talk. • An injury to Zaire in the second game of 2015 marked the arrival of DeShone Kizer, and essentially ended Zaire's career as the starter after he also regressed and became a graduate transfer at Florida. Kizer was brilliant as a sophomore starter in 2015, leading the Irish to 10 wins and a trip to the Fiesta Bowl, all while conjuring talk that he would be the Heisman favorite as a junior in 2016. Staying on script, Kizer's performance slipped during the 4-8 implosion in 2016, so he skipped his senior season and went to the NFL. • Brandon Wimbush was next up in 2017. He was spectacular at times during that 10-3 campaign, but like Golson in 2014 began to regress late in the year, was benched in a bowl win versus LSU and then in 2018 was replaced by Book after three games. Wimbush is now a graduate transfer at Central Florida. Get all of that? Now, the rest is up to Book to buck history and sustain success in a way his predecessors were unable to after their breakout debut seasons as a starter. "It's a whole new year," said Book, who after redshirting as a freshman still holds another year of eligibility in 2020. "I still have to go out there every day and prove myself." — Todd D. Burlage One trend among Irish quarterbacks under Brian Kelly has been setbacks in year two as a starter, some- thing senior Book (above) will try to buck this season. PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL