Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2020 51 2020 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE graduating) because of Brady Quinn, whom he idolized growing up. "He was the Notre Dame quarter‑ back, and I saw him every week," Pyne said. "He was a big role model for me. That's why I wear No. 10. I really liked him growing up." Pyne had a storybook freshman season. As one of the most hyped players entering Connecticut high school football in 2016, Pyne tossed a pair of touchdowns in the Class L state championship game and led New Canaan (Conn.) High to a 35‑20 triumph. He totaled 9,411 yards, 105 touch‑ downs and 35 interceptions and added 292 rushes for 1,182 yards and 20 scores during his decorated four‑ year prep career. He holds the New Canaan career records for passing yards and touchdowns. Pyne had a 40‑9 career record as New Canaan's starting quarterback and was the first freshman ever to start for the storied program. Even with all of the athletic suc‑ cess Pyne has achieved and his stel‑ lar family tree, there are still doubters regarding the newest Notre Dame quarterback. While Rivals ranks Pyne as the No. 7 pro‑style quarter‑ back and No. 117 overall prospect nationally, the talent evaluators at 247Sports rate Pyne No. 19 at his po‑ sition and No. 766 overall. His height is often discussed — Notre Dame announced him as 6‑0, 181 pounds — and some pundits question Pyne's ability to throw the deep ball. But according to a couple of quarterback gurus, Pyne has all of the tools to succeed at a high level at Notre Dame. "He's got really good fundamen‑ tals, in my opinion," former Syracuse quarterback Charlie Loeb told Blue & Gold Illustrated following the Ri‑ vals Five‑Star Challenge at Atlanta in June 2019. "He puts a ton of veloc‑ ity on the ball, and he's not a huge, bulky guy. Especially on that eye‑ level ball, he can put as much zip on it as anybody in the country." Pyne was the best quarterback in the Under Armour All‑America Game Jan. 2 in Orlando, Fla., whether one looks over the final stat book or just uses the "eye test." He com‑ pleted 9 of 11 throws for 121 yards, including a 42‑yard touchdown pass. He was just one of two quarterbacks who wasn't sacked. "The first thing that stands out is how intelligent he is," said Steve Matthews, a former NFL quarterback and assistant coach of Pyne's team in the all‑star game. "The other quar‑ terbacks on our team had a little bit of background in this system, but the way he picked it up, I was extremely impressed with that. "He has a quick release and throws a really pretty ball. More than any‑ thing, I really liked how he picked up the system in a couple days." Neither Loeb nor Matthews have any reservations about Pyne's height at the next level. "None," Loeb said. "And I think this is the day and age where that's been thrown to the wayside. And I'm sure it will cycle back to falling in love with the 6‑foot‑5 guy, but from Drew Brees to Russell Wilson to Baker Mayfield to Kyler Murray — if you're a player at the next level, you're a player. "That's the way it should be. At quarterback, if you can find a way to have vision without being 6‑5, who cares?" "I think the game is changing," Matthews added. "I've talked to a lot of college coaches over the years, and it used to be if you weren't 6‑2, you were put on the back burner. But now, 5‑11 or 6‑0 is plenty tall, and he fits that category. "His arm strength makes up for physical attributes that he might not have. He has an extremely strong arm, and he's very accurate as well." Pyne enrolled at Notre Dame in January, and with Phil Jurkovec's transfer from the program he will have quite the opportunity to con‑ tinue his family tradition of success at the college level perhaps even sooner than later. ✦ Pyne led New Canaan (Conn.) High to its second consecutive state championship as a senior, passing for 2,107 yards and 24 touchdowns. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM