Notre Dame Football: 5 breakout players to watch in 2018

4. Ian Book, QB

Quarterback Ian Book jumped onto the scene quite unexpectedly in 2017, making his first brief appearance in a close loss to Georgia before starting against North Carolina in the wake of a Brandon Wimbush injury. Talks of a quarterback controversy were either quelled by great play from Wimbush or by no-nonsense answers from Kelly.

Either way, it didn’t seem as if we would see much of Book over the course of the 2017 season. However, much of that changed in the Irish’s 41-8 loss to their Miami rivals. This wasn’t a good look for either Wimbush or Book who threw a poor interception to close the second half, but a fire was lit under Book supporters nonetheless.

It was only a matter of time until Book received the chance to truly prove himself, and prove himself he did after leading the Irish to a 21-17 victory over LSU in the 2018 Citrus Bowl. Book looked great while replacing Wimbush in that game, and all signs point to Book opening the 2018 season as the Irish’s starting quarterback.

While Book was by no means perfect this season (four touchdowns to four interceptions), he offers a dynamic approach that the run-first Wimbush simply can’t bring to the table. Also, confidence can go a long way for a young quarterback, so don’t be surprised to see a strong 2018 campaign from Book when all is said and done.