Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly enters his ninth season with yet another quarterback controversy in South Bend.
Brandon Wimbush and Ian Book helped Notre Dame to a 10-3 season in 2017, capped with a Citrus Bowl victory against LSU. The Irish have a top-10 ranking in Sporting News' way-too-early top 25 poll as well, making the competition between Wimbush and Book more heated this spring than last season, when the former was the undisputed starter.
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What should we expect at Notre Dame? Here's a closer look:
Notre Dame QB competition
Who's out?
Notre Dame returns all its quarterback production from the 2017 season.
Who's in?
Wimbush. The senior started for most of 2017, compiling 1,870 passing yards with 16 touchdowns to six interceptions while rushing for 803 yards and a team-high 14 touchdowns.
Book. He led Notre Dame to a victory in the Citrus Bowl, finishing 14 of 19 passing with two touchdowns and an interception.
Avery Davis. The redshirt-freshman is behind Wimbush and Book, and would have to make a strong impression in the spring to get in the mix.
Phil Jurkovec. The four-star dual-threat quarterback from Gibsonia, Pa., will arrive on campus in the spring.
What makes this battle unique?
It's going to stretch into fall camp. Kelly's quarterback battles are always unpredictable, and aren't always contained in the offseason. Remember when he alternated series between Malik Zaire and DeShone Kizer in 2016? Chances are Wimbush and Book will both see meaningful snaps during the regular season, but the winner will be on the spot in a primetime showdown against Michigan in the opener.
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Three more questions
1. Will Wimbush be more accurate?
Wimbush flashed in his first season as starter, but a 49.5 completion percentage wasn't good enough, considering the talent at receiver and tight end last season. In losses to Georgia, Miami and Stanford, Wimbush was 41 of 89 passing (46.1 percent) for 578 yards and three touchdowns to four interceptions. Wimbush's presence in the running game is an X-factor, but he'll have to be more accurate as a senior.
2 Will Book cut down the picks?
Book is enticing, but it's important to remember he doesn't have nearly as much experience as Wimbush. He also threw four interceptions on just 75 attempts last season; Wimbush had six in 275. Book can't turn the ball over like that if he wants to win the starting job, and that's worth watching as the spring progresses.
3. What tweaks will the offense make?
Notre Dame ranked seventh nationally with 269.3 rushing yards per game last season in Chip Long's first year as offensive coordinator. The Irish, however, lose All-American offensive linemen Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey and star running back Josh Adams to the NFL. Wimbush and Book used the talent surrounding them to their advantage, averaging 5.7 and 5.6 yards per carry, respectively. Long likely will make a few tweaks, but this remains a run-first offense where the quarterback has to make plays with his legs.
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Stat that matters
Notre Dame in 2017 had its lowest totals in passing attempts, completion, yards and completion percentage in the Kelly era. Here's a look at the yearly overall production of Irish quarterbacks under Kelly:
| Year | Comp. | Pct. | Yards | TD-INT |
| 2017 | 182 of 351 | 51.9 | 2,326 | 20-10 |
| 2016 | 224 of 387 | 57.9 | 3,047 | 27-9 |
| 2015 | 240 of 382 | 62.8 | 3,360 | 25-10 |
| 2014 | 277 of 463 | 59.8 | 3,711 | 30-13 |
| 2013 | 225 of 429 | 52.4 | 3,313 | 27-13 |
| 2012 | 225 of 388 | 58.0 | 2,896 | 14-8 |
| 2011 | 302 of 473 | 63.8 | 3,284 | 21-17 |
| 2010 | 285 of 481 | 59.3 | 3,290 | 28-16 |
The drop in yards is OK considering the running game success last year, but the dropoff in other areas shows the Irish need more balance. The more efficient quarterback is going to win this job, and there's improvement needed across the board with these statistics.
Who wins?
It's a toss-up, and it will probably be close to a game-time decision when the Irish take on the Wolverines to start the season. Book made the last impression, and that's going to force Wimbush to win this job all over again. We'll give the slight edge to him.
