Notre Dame Football: 5 takeaways from the 2021 Pro Day

Notre Dame Football: 5 takeaways from the 2021 Pro Day

Ian Book’s Day Throwing

By no means was Ian Book perfect throwing the ball at the Notre Dame pro day. He missed a few of the deep balls, which maybe isn’t surprising. He also made some good, accurate throws on the run, including downfield, which shouldn’t be surprising either. After his workout, he’d speak to the media, telling them he was happy with his performance and that he just wanted to show he could make all the throws. Former wide receiver, Corey Robinson, said that as a freshman Book had the strongest arm on the team, ahead of players like Everett Golson and DeShone Kizer.

None of that changes Book’s stock, though. In fact, it really doesn’t change the way we look at him at all. Everyone knows Book is capable. The question is whether or not he’s capable in a game of throwing an out-route from the far hash, facing a pass rush. His footwork and accuracy aren’t the type of concerns teams have. This means he never could improve his stock throwing, not by much at least.

The rest of the day went Book’s way in a major way. He’s interviewed well and his testing was excellent. Book had set a goal for himself of beating Baker Mayfield’s numbers across the board because they have been compared frequently. He outdid Mayfield and every category he tested for. In fact, he ran so well that it put him between Cam Newton and Deshaun Watson in terms of speed.

There’s no denying Book’s character or athleticism. The only test he has to pass is one he can’t before the draft, and that’s his guts with the ball in actual games.