Notre Dame Football: Could Ian Book start as a rookie in 2021?
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame Football team saw Ian Book picked in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, but could he actually start a few games as well?
Heading into the 2021 NFL Draft, the hope was that quarterback Ian Book could somehow find his way as a late Day 3 pick. The status on him after the season was that he could go on Day 3, or possibly be undrafted, but after a great draft season, where he performed very well in the Senior Bowl, things changed.
In fact, Book ended up being the first quarterback selected on Day 3, going in the fourth round to the New Orleans Saints. That was a lot higher than many draft experts expected him to go, but it could end up being the best thing that could have happened to him.
Notre Dame Football star finds perfect landing spot
Looking at the Saints roster, the most glaring omission is Drew Brees, who retired after the 2020 NFL season. One of the best quarterbacks in league history, Brees, like Book, did not have the perfect size for the NFL game but had a perfect system to run under Sean Payton.
Payton likely saw a lot of Brees’ traits in Book, and that is why they made him a fourth-round pick. There is also the fact that the team is uncertain at the quarterback spot in 2021, which means Book will have a chance to really make an impact, and possibly even start a game or two.
For the Irish, replacing Book this season is likely to graduate transfer Jack Coan, who once led the Wisconsin Badgers to a Big Ten title game. I believe he is going to do a great job as quarterback of the Irish this season, and should very well be a top-50 quarterback in college football, a list he was snubbed from recently.
Overall, losing Book is going to be a tough one, because he won a ton of games in South Bend, and was the unquestioned leader of this offense. However, it is going to be very exciting seeing him move up the depth chart in New Orleans, a place where the quarterback position is undecided, and a great place for him to start his journey.