Notre Dame Football: Offseason Fact or Fiction

Fact or Fiction: Brandon Wimbush will have 20+ passing touchdowns in 2018.

Mason: Fact. As frustrating as Brandon Wimbush was at times last season, I still believe in him. At times I may question my trust in him, but surely he can’t miss as many throws as he did last season, right? The reason I believe in Wimbush throwing for twenty or more touchdowns this season is simple: he just has to do the simple things right. Everyone knows he has an absolute cannon of an arm and can sling it with the best of them. Everyone knows he is ridiculously athletic and can make tacklers miss with ease. He has all the tools to be successful at Notre Dame, but he messes up the little things. Last season he made bad reads and missed on plenty of throws. For me, if he focuses on the little things, the touchdowns will come. I think 2018 is going to be a great year for Brandon Wimbush and for Notre Dame.

JP: Fact. Wimbush tossed sixteen touchdowns last seasons while at the helm of an elite rushing attack. The Irish offense is going to depend much more on his arm and receivers this season. He has a couple of monsters size-wise to target when he’s in the redzone. I believe he will opt to do more than just tucking and running near the goal line in 2018.

Nathan: Fact. In a relatively poor passing season in 2017, Wimbush threw for sixteen touchdowns. If he simply makes some minor improvements, he should reach twenty easily. I expect Wimbush to be much better than last year, and part of that is due to a better receiving core at his disposal. Without Josh Adams, Quenton Nelson, and Mike McGlinchey in South Bend to dominate the run game, more will be placed on Brandon Wimbush’s shoulders. He will pass for nearly double the amount of touchdowns in 2018.

Sonny: Fact. It’s clear Brian Kelly wants Wimbush to develop as a passer. You would think those improvements would lead to more touchdown passes. Wimbush showed flashes of what he could do during Spring practice, according to those who attended. If that trend continues, he should be able to add at least four more touchdowns.

Next: Irish in the NFL: Theo Riddick Could Have Big Year for the Lions

Jack: Fact. It’s fair to expect Brandon Wimbush to improve on his performance last season, when he threw for sixteen touchdowns. In addition to that, I think the Notre Dame offense will need to rely on the passing game more than they did in 2017 due to the departures of Josh Adams, Quenton Nelson, and Mike McGlinchey. Heading into the second year of Chip Long’s offense with an improved receiving core, Wimbush should not have a hard time throwing for more than twenty touchdowns.