Notre Dame football: Five potential breakout players on offense in 2020

1. Ian Book

Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book took a lot of criticism for his play last season. This seems odd when you consider that he threw for 3,034 yards, 34 touchdowns, only six interceptions while rushing 112 times for 546 and four touchdowns. Those are solid numbers for a quarterback in his first full season as a starter for his program, especially for a nationally ranked team that went 11-2.

Critics would point out that Book’s numbers were skewed by excellent performances in games against lesser opponents such as New Mexico and Bowling Green and point to abysmal performances against tougher opponents such as Michigan and Virginia. The truth lies somewhere in the middle. Book did what he was supposed to against lesser opponents and could have done more against tougher opponents.

As the season unfolded, Book often looked uncomfortable in a clean pocket early on, causing him to tuck the ball and run when it was unnecessary, forfeiting big gain passing plays in the process. However, towards the end of the season, Book looked much better and was excellent against Duke, Navy, Boston College, Stanford, and in the Camping World Bowl game against a tough Iowa State defense.

If we are looking at the performance of Book objectively, perhaps the expectations were simply too high for him in his first full year as a starter. It is also worth noting that Notre Dame’s offense lacked a dynamic threat in the running game, which make the team much more one-dimensional than anticipated.

Another issue that seemed to plague Book and the Irish offense was the inconsistent offensive line play. The offensive line was expected to be an anchor for the Notre Dame football team with linemen Tommy Kraemer and Liam Eichenberg receiving strong consideration to be potential first-round draft picks in the 2020 NFL Draft. Neither would perform up to expectations and as a result, would decide to return to South Bend for their final year of eligibility in an effort to try to boost their draft stock in 2021.

Another hindrance for Book was the lack of explosive playmakers. While Chase Claypool and Cole Kmet were superstars and Chris Finke and Tony Jones Jr. were solid performers, none of them showed the ability to possess the explosiveness to change the game in an instant. Only Braden Lenzy, who was utilized later on in the season and sparingly, offered that kind of explosiveness at a notable level for the Irish last season.

Heading into the 2020 season, many of these issues should be shored up. Book begins season two as a full-time starting quarterback for the Irish behind a talented veteran line that includes Kraemer, Eichenberg, Robert Hainsey, Aaron Banks, and Jarrett Patterson. The veteran offensive line for the Irish is expected by most to be among the best in all of college football, if not the best. Building upon a strong close to the 2019 season, this line should be extremely improved in 2020.

The Irish have also addressed the issue of lacking explosive big-play options on offense. Highly touted wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. returns from suspension, dynamic wideout Braden Lenzy is expected to carve out a larger role in the offense, Tommy Tremble is an incredibly fast and athletic tight end, and Jafar Armstrong and Chris Tyree provide Notre Dame with two players in the backfield with the elite speed to break away for big yardage runs. The speed and athleticism on the 2020 Notre Dame offense are sure to give defensive coordinators nightmares.

If the offensive line can consistently protect Book, the speed of the offensive weapons should easily create separation on defense, which will allow the extremely accurate Book to dissect his opponents. It’s plausible to believe that with lowered expectations and a chip on his shoulder from undue criticism over last season’s performance, Ian Book could be primed for a huge season in 2020. If that is the case, the Notre Dame football team should receive strong consideration to be among the legitimate contenders for a National Championship in 2020.