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Notre Dame football: 10 most important players in 2021

By Daniel Morrison

SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - SEPTEMBER 14: Kurt Hinish #41 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and teammates sing the alma mater after defeating the New Mexico Lobos at Notre Dame Stadium on September 14, 2019 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - SEPTEMBER 14: Kurt Hinish #41 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and teammates sing the alma mater after defeating the New Mexico Lobos at Notre Dame Stadium on September 14, 2019 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /
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Notre Dame Football
May 1, 2021; Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Jack Coan (17) runs the ball in the first half of the Blue-Gold Game at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /

Notre Dame football: 10 most important players in 2021

7. Jack Coan, Quarterback

There might be some debate about how much playing time Tyler Buchner should get and even the odd fan who thinks that he should start ahead of Jack Coan so that he isn’t tempted to transfer. However, the reality is that Jack Coan will be starting Week 1 for Notre Dame.

Coan is an experienced starter who brings a strong track record to Notre Dame. Is he the savior? No. Does he have the potential to be a top-10 quarterback in college football next year? Probably not. Does Notre Dame need him to succeed? Absolutely.

The reality is that Buchner isn’t ready to be the everyday starter. He didn’t play a down his senior year of high school, and even if he did the jump in, competition is so high that it’s best to give him one year to adjust to the speed of the game. That means Coan needs to be ready to excel as the starter at Notre Dame, or they’ll likely take a step backward.

Yes, he’s a stopgap or bridge between Ian Book and Tyler Buchner, but he’s an important one.

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