Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2018 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 47 QUARTERBACKS POSITION COACH Tom Rees is entering his second season as Notre Dame's quarterbacks coach. He spent his first year serving in the role of a graduate assistant, before the NCAA's ruling that allowed for a 10th full-time assistant coach starting in January 2018. In his first season, Fighting Irish signal-callers completed 182 of 352 passes (51.7 percent) for 2,326 yards with 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He helped Notre Dame's passing attack average 178.9 yards per game and 12.78 yards per completion. Prior to taking the job at his alma mater, Rees spent one season as an offensive assistant with the San Diego Chargers. The Lake Bluff, Ill., native broke into the coaching ranks as an offensive graduate as- sistant at Northwestern in 2015. Rees posted a 23-8 record (.742 winning percent- age) as a starting quarterback for the Irish from 2010-13, and ranks in the top five in school history in 21 different single-game, single-season or career passing categories. He finished with 7,670 career yards and 61 touchdowns. As a senior in 2013 he was named team team's Offensive Player of the Year after throwing for 3,257 yards and 27 touchdowns. Rees earned his bachelor's degree in management consulting from Notre Dame in 2013. RETURNING PLAYERS IAN BOOK • QB Jr. • El Dorado Hills, Calif. Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 200 Career Highlights: Saw action in 10 games with one start as a sophomore … Completed 46 of 75 passes for 456 yards with four touchdowns and four intercep- tions … Became the sixth straight Irish signal-caller to win his starting debut by going 17-of-31 passing for 146 yards with a score while also rushing for 45 yards against North Carolina … Came off the bench and connected on 14 of 19 throws for 164 yards with two touchdowns and one interception to lead Notre Dame to a 21-17 win over LSU in the Citrus Bowl … Did not play during the 2016 campaign. Prep: Rated as a three-star prospect, the No. 57 player in California and the No. 15 pro-style quar- terback nationally by Rivals … Named Cal-Hi all-state first team after throwing for 3,049 yards, rushing for 779 yards and accounting for 42 touchdowns during his senior campaign at Oak Ridge High School. Personal: Born March 30, 1998 … Enrolled in the Mendoza College of Business. Year G-GS Com. Att. Yards TD INT 2017 10-1 46 75 456 4 4 AVERY DAVIS • QB So. • Cedar Hill, Texas Ht.: 5-11 • Wt.: 203 Career Highlights: Cross-trained at quarterback, running back and wide receiver during spring prac- tice … Did not see game action in 2017. Prep: Rivals rated him as a three-star prospect, the No. 80 player in the Lone Star State and the No. 19 dual-threat quarterback nationally … As a senior, connected on 188 of 273 throws (68.9 per- cent) for 2,876 yards with 37 touchdowns and five interceptions … Also rushed 84 times for 369 yards and six scores … Named the 2016 Texas District 7-6A Offensive Player of the Year and a member of the first-team squad … Participated in the Under Armour All-America Game, and completed three passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. Personal: Born Aug. 26, 1998 … Became the first quarterback from Texas to sign with Notre Dame since Carlyle Holiday in 2000 … Enrolled in First Year of Studies. BRANDON WIMBUSH • QB Sr. • Teaneck, N.J. Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 225 Career Highlights: Started all 12 games he played in last season … Became the third QB in school his- tory to eclipse both 500 rushing yards and 1,000 passing yards in the same season, joining Tony Rice (1988 and '89) and DeShone Kizer (2015) … Completed 136 of 275 passes (49.5 per- cent) for 1,870 yards with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions, while carrying the ball 141 times for 803 yards and 14 scores … The rushing touchdowns ranked 19th nationally and set a school record for quarterbacks, while his yardage total was the sec- ond most ever by an Irish signal-caller (behind Tony Rice's 934 in 1989) … Believed to be the first Irish QB since at least 1942 to break 100 yards in both pass- ing (184) and rushing (114) in his first career start, a 49-16 win over Temple … Became just the sixth different Notre Dame quarterback to hit the century mark in both categories, joining Paul Hornung, Joe Theismann, Rice, Jarious Jackson and Kizer … Against Boston College, he became the first Irish QB in mod- ern history to rush for more than 200 yards (207) and score four rushing touchdowns … Did not see any game action in 2016 … Played in two games in 2015, completing 3 of 5 passes for 17 yards, and car- rying the ball seven times for 96 yards and a score. Prep: Regarded as a four-star recruit, the No. 2 senior in his home state, and the No. 4 dual-threat quarterback and No. 60 overall prospect nationally by Rivals … Completed 192 of 265 passes (72.3 per- cent) for 3,187 yards with 37 touchdowns and four interceptions while leading St. Peter's Prep (11-1) to the Non-Public, Group 4 state championship as a senior … Added 723 yards and nine scores on the ground … Tabbed a first-team All-American by MaxPreps … Named the Gatorade Player of the Year in New Jersey … Selected first-team all-state, named the 2014 Offensive Player of the Year in New Jersey and rated as the top player in the state by NJ.com … Played in the Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando, Fla. Personal: Born Dec. 17, 1997 … Enrolled in the Mendoza College of Business. Year G-GS Com. Att. Yards TD INT 2015 2-0 3 5 17 0 0 2016 Did Not Play 2017 12-12 136 275 1,870 16 6 Totals 14-12 139 280 1,887 16 6 NEWCOMER PHIL JURKOVEC • QB Fr. • Gibsonia, Pa. Ht.: 6-5 • Wt.: 204 Prep: Rivals rated him as a four-star prospect, the No. 2 player in Pennsylvania, and the No. 5 dual- threat quarterback and No. 87 overall player in the country … Finished his career third all time in Penn- sylvania history with 11,144 yards of total offense despite missing half of his junior season with a wrist injury … Set a single-season state record with 5,180 yards of total offense in 2017 … Completed 243 of 334 passes (72.8 percent) for 3,969 yards with 39 touchdowns and six interceptions as a senior … Also rushed for 1,211 yards and 24 touchdowns on 132 carries (9.2 yards per attempt), while leading Pine-Richland to a 16-0 record, its first-ever 6A state championship, a No. 10 ranking in the final Max- Preps Xcellent 25 and a No. 11 ranking in the final USA Today Super 25 … Named the Gatorade Player of the Year, the Class 6A Player of the Year, and USA Today's Offensive Player of the Year in Pennsylvania … Also received Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Player of the Year honors … Was an All-USA Pennsylvania first- team pick by USA Today in 2017, and was a three- time all-state selection by Pennsylvania Football Writers … Played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Personal: Born Nov. 3, 1999 … Also played basket- ball and finished his career with 1,656 points … Was a second-team all-state basketball selection in the largest classification (6A) in 2017-18, after averag- ing 16.0 points per game for a team that made the WPIAL 6A championship and the PIAA 6A semifinals … Is believed to be the first quarterback from the WPIAL in 50 years to play in the largest classification and make all-state in both football and basketball. BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2018 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 47 Freshman Phil Jurkovec led Gibsonia Pine-Rich- land High to a 16-0 record and the Pennsylvania 6A state title as a senior, and also earned second- team all-state honors in basketball. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM