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SOUTH BEND, Ind. — There may be competitors as soon as once more in Notre Dame’s quarterback room this spring and that’s precisely how coach Brian Kelly and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees need it.
Jack Coan, a fifth-year graduate switch from Wisconsin, and returning sophomore Drew Pyne have been splitting the first-team reps via the primary 4 spring practices.
The Preventing Irish are looking for a successor to Ian Guide, who led this system to 2 Faculty Soccer Playoff semifinal appearances in three seasons and a school-best 30-5 report because the beginning quarterback.
Rees, in fact, relishes quarterback competitors. He noticed a number of it as an on-and-off starter below Kelly from 2010-13.
“The way in which Tommy has received it arrange, which is what we needed, (it’s) a battle between Jack and Drew,” stated Kelly, who has three different quarterbacks in spring camp in true freshmen Tyler Buchner and Ron Powlus II and junior Brendon Clark, who’s rehabbing from knee surgical procedure late final season.
Proper now, Coan and Pyne are getting all the eye.
“I informed Jack you’ve received a number of recognition for the stuff you completed at Wisconsin, so the blokes know who you might be,” Kelly stated as practices opened. “Be who you might be, be genuine and while you’re genuine, guys belief you.”
The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Coan sat out his final season at Wisconsin following foot surgical procedure in October because the Badgers had been getting ready for his or her delayed season that ended with a 4-3 report and redshirt freshman Graham Mertz taking the snaps. In 2019, Coan accomplished nearly 70% of his passes for two,727 yards and 18 touchdowns towards 5 interceptions as Wisconsin completed 10-4.
Coan, who performed lacrosse at Sayville Excessive College on Lengthy Island, New York, as soon as had a scholarship supply to play the game at Notre Dame. Three days after Guide and the Irish concluded their 10-2 season with a 31-14 loss to Alabama, Coan introduced his plans to switch.
“It was actually powerful for me, however I simply felt prefer it was time for me to maneuver on and go to a spot the place I assumed it could be an excellent alternative for me,” Coan stated. “And I assumed there’s no place like Notre Dame in the case of soccer, the tradition right here and the historical past.”
Coan, who has a powerful arm, might be the beginning quarterback for the Irish after they go to Soldier Area in Chicago on Sept. 25 to play the Badgers. Then once more, it might be Pyne, who will remind a few of Guide along with his accuracy throwing on the run.
“What do we would like from Drew Pyne?” Kelly stated. “We would like him to be the starter. We’re not handing this job to Jack Coan. Drew is constructed for this. He’s at all times been informed that he’s not adequate, can’t be the starter or can’t win. It simply motivates him much more.”
These phrases are music to the ears of Pyne, who began all 4 seasons at quarterback at New Canaan (Connecticut) Excessive College after which noticed his first spring as an early enrollee at Notre Dame canceled after one observe due to the pandemic.
Pyne got here again within the fall and finally handed the injury-plagued Clark to turn out to be Guide’s understudy. Although he noticed motion in solely 4 video games and accomplished simply two of three passes for 12 yards, Pyne appreciated what he discovered from Guide.
“Ian was an incredible chief, an incredible function mannequin, an incredible pal to me and somebody I actually, actually look as much as,” Pyne stated. “Development and getting higher and being the most effective teammate attainable is what motivates me.”
Kelly and Rees additionally could have an opportunity to take a look at their two freshmen. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Powlus is the son of Irish quarterback Ron Powlus, who performed at Notre Dame from 1994-97 and now could be an assistant athletic director on the college. The youthful Powlus performed at close by Penn Excessive College.
The 6-foot-1, 207-pound Buchner, who dedicated to Notre Dame in early 2019 and totaled 6,084 yards and 81 landing as a junior dual-threat quarterback, noticed his ultimate highschool season at La Mesa (California) Helix Excessive College canceled by the pandemic.
“We noticed a few of the rust come off Tyler,” Kelly stated after Saturday’s fourth observe. “He was extra snug on the market, threw the ball with much more confidence. He had a smile on his face, he had some confidence.”
Notre Dame’s two-headed spring QB race options Pyne, Coan initially appeared on NBCSports.com
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