Notre Dame Football: The Top 5 – Ranking 2020’s Most Impactful Players
By Andrew Hall
1. Ian Book
Best Ranking: No. 1
Worst Ranking: No. 2
Without a doubt, Book is the most impactful Notre Dame player for the 2020 campaign. Is it because Book is that impactful or because he plays at the most important position on the football field? As for most questions, the truth usually lies somewhere in between. According to most accounts, Book looked sharp in preseason camp.
He will need to quickly gel with a newer receiving corps after losing his top three targets from 2019. Notre Dame’s leading receiver has actually caught a pass at Notre Dame. In fact, he has caught passes against Notre Dame. That player is Ben Skowronek who has 110 career receptions for 1,417 yards.
Perhaps more importantly, Book must stay in his bubble and avoid COVID-19. Notre Dame cannot afford to lose Book and go to Sophomore Brendon Clark or true Freshman Drew Pyne.
Next. Ranking 2020’s most impactful players – Nos. 20-16. dark
What will be considered a great season for the first fifth-year Quarterback since Jarious Jackson in 1999? Of course, if Book plays well and leads to a victory over Clemson, his statistics probably will not matter to Notre Dame fans. In a slightly truncated season, if Book completes 65% of his passes and has a touchdown to interception ratio of 6:1, his season should be considered successful. If Book does not throw for over 3000 yards, his performance might be viewed as stagnant. However, in a shortened season with a more run heavy offense, he may not receive the same amount of opportunities to throw the football over the course of the year.