Notre Dame football: Jack Coan can bolster draft case in East-West Shrine Game

Notre Dame football got an excellent season from Jack Coan at quarterback in 2021, and a solid East-West Shrine game can bolster his draft status.

When the time came to replace star quarterback Ian Book this offseason, the Irish could have gone with a few internal candidates. Drew Pyne was Book’s backup in 2020, and incoming true freshman Tyler Buchner looked the part from Day 1 after stepping on campus.

Instead, the Irish went with a graduate transfer in Jack Coan, a player who had led his previous school, Wisconsin, to a Big Ten title game a few years back. With Coan under center, the Irish had a veteran presence, and once he got his feet wet, and the Irish got set along the offensive line, he really flourished at the position.

Coan would end up throwing for over 3,000 yards for this Notre Dame football team, tossing 25 touchdowns against only six interceptions, while completing nearly 66 percent of his passes. In his finale, he tossed for over 500 yards and five scores, an exclamation point to what was an outstanding first, and only season with the Irish.

Now, Coan sets his sights on continuing his football career at the next level.

Notre Dame football quarterback to make a statement in East-West Shrine Game

In early February, Coan will appear for the final time as a college player in the East-West Shrine Game, as he is one of the three quarterbacks for the West team. Playing in front of plenty of NFL scouts and coaches, Coan has a chance to improve his draft status, as he is currently considered someone who won’t get drafted, but be a priority UDFA after the draft finishes.

The truth is, Coan has the skill set to be an NFL quarterback, as he may not have great mobility, but is someone who can deliver the football all over the field. He may never be a starter at the next level, but in terms of a player who can come in and help a franchise in a backup role, he could carve out a long career in the NFL.

A useful Notre Dame football 2022 roster tracker heading into Spring

The Notre Dame football team should be deep on both sides of the ball in 2022, and here is a way to keep track of all the incoming and outgoing players.

For the Irish, Coan was the perfect quarterback to bridge them from a multi-year starter in Book, to a multi-year starter in either Buchner, Pyne, or Steve Angeli next season. It has been a great run for Coan since putting on a Notre Dame football uniform, and hopefully, he has a solid draft season and hears his name called in the 2022 NFL Draft.