Notre Dame Football: Will QB inexperience affect Equanimeous St. Brown?
After exploding onto the scene in 2016, how will Notre Dame football’s Equanimeous St. Brown’s production be affected by changes at quarterback?
Equanimeous St. Brown is the next man up in a long line of prolific Notre Dame wide receivers.
A 6-foot-4 speedster from Anaheim, Calif., St. Brown looks primed to become Notre Dame’s next great NFL star after catching 58 passes for 961 yards and nine touchdowns in 2016, providing fans with a bright spot in an overwhelmingly disappointing season.
St. Brown is a unique prospect because he not only has the track-star speed that can stretch the field, but also the size and catch radius to be an effective red-zone target.
When watching Equanimeous’ game film, his freakish athleticism practically jumps off the screen.
While Equanimeous has all of the physical tools to be a star receiver, his production will be directly linked to that of his quarterback.
After spending two season catching balls from now-Browns’ quarterback DeShone Kizer, and Florida Gators quarterback Malik Zaire, St. Brown will now have to develop a chemistry with third year quarterback Brandon Wimbush. But how will Wimbush affect Equanimeous?
Wimbush, a 6-foot-1 four-star prep star from Jersey City, N.J., has only appeared in two games for the Fighting Irish in his first two years on campus, passing for 17 yards while rushing for 90 yards and one touchdown on seven attempts. Though he is largely unproven on the field, he has been receiving extensive hype off it.
Fans, and pundits alike are already touting Wimbush as Notre Dame football’s savior, the kind of player who can return the team to its former dominance.
Wimbush is immensely talented, the kind of freakish athlete that has never before graced the quarterback position at Notre Dame. Not only can he be a devastating runner from the backfield, but he can also destroy opposing defenses with his arm.
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In high school, Wimbush threw for 2,702 yards and 31 touchdowns while completing 71.6 percent of his passes. He also averaged 17 yards per completion over his three seasons as St. Peters Prep’s starting quarterback.
During his sophomore season at Notre Dame, Equanimeous St. Brown averaged 16.5 yards per completion, so having a quarterback who can throw the ball deep is essential for continued success.
In addition to Wimbush, Notre Dame also added a new offensive coordinator in Chip Long.
After muddling in mediocrity behind former oc Mike Sanford’s pro-style offense, Long’s run-pass-option spread scheme should help to take advantage of his new quarterback’s athleticism. While spread schemes typically help to get receivers open, and maximize their yards after the catch, they can also hinder the number of vertical routes receivers like St. Brown will run.
If the Irish is able to effectively attack opposing teams from inside the hash marks, it will force defensive coordinators to crowd the line of scrimmage and give outside receivers more one-on-one looks against single high safeties. Having a receiver with St. Brown’s size and speed combination should turn these one-on-one looks into massive mismatches.
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While Wimbush’s presence at quarterback should help to elevate Notre Dame’s offense to new heights, his ability to utilize St. Brown on deep routes and in the red-zone will truly determine just how great the Fighting Irish’s offense can be in 2017.