Notre Dame Football: 3 biggest questions for Irish on offense in 2021
By Andrew Hall
The Irish offense faces numerous questions that offensive coordinator Tommy Rees must answer in 2021 if the Notre Dame football team wants to return to the playoffs.
The Notre Dame football team needs to find answers on both sides of the ball this season, as the Irish lose key starters on offense and defense that will alter how the team plays in 2021.
With the loss of quarterback Ian Book, several offensive linemen, and their top wide receivers, the Irish offense must remake their style of play and the starting lineup. The departure of left tackle Liam Eichenberg left guard Aaron Banks, right guard Tommy Kraemer, and right tackle Robert Hainsey eliminate Notre Dame’s ability to bully their opponents like last season, as they rushed for 200-plus per contest.
However, the recent addition of young skill talent allows the Irish to shift how they attack on the offensive side of the ball. Notre Dame must find ways to utilize senior wide receivers Kevin Austin and Braden Lenzy, sophomore wide receiver Jordan Johnson, as well as freshman wide receivers Lorenzo Styles and Deion Colzie.
Adding these players to an elite running back room should give the Fighting Irish a shot at outscoring a high-performing 2020 offense that scored 33.4 points per contest.
The loss of Book hovers over the entire off-season, though Brian Kelly and the Notre Dame football coaching staff brought in graduate transfer quarterback Jack Coan to lead the Fighting Irish in 2021. In comparison, Book completed 64.6% of his throws for 2,830 yards with 15 touchdowns and three interceptions last season, and in 2019, Coan’s last full season as a starter, he completed 69.6% of his passes for 2,737 yards with 18 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.
The biggest loss occurs on the ground, where Book rushed for 485 yards in 2020 and Coan scampered for only 22 yards in 2019.
Here are the biggest questions facing Notre Dame’s offense this spring, summer, and fall.