Notre Dame Football: 5 reasons Ian Book should start for Irish in 2018

3. Book adds another dimension to the position

Many Irish fans found themselves infatuated with Wimbush’s game early in the season, hailing him to be the next great Irish quarterback while shifting his passing woes to the back-burner. The obsession with Wimbush would quickly fade, however, as his one-dimensional style of play would be quickly snuffed out by opposing defensive coordinators.

While Wimbush’s ability to control a game with his legs worked against most opponents, his effectiveness wore thin as the season reached its end. After posting under 45 rushing yards only three times over the first nine weeks of the regular season, Wimbush would proceed to log under 45 yards in three of his last four games.

Book, while not offering as much upside in terms of his run game, will force defensive coordinators to mold more creative gameplans in order to stop him. One of the biggest issues facing the Irish last year was the presence of defenders in the tackle box. Wimbush’s struggles in the pass game led to constant stack-the-box approaches from opponents, limiting the run game as a whole.

Book will likely see a strong initial presence in the box as well, but his ability to make defenders pay through the air should loosen things up in the middle of the field. With Dexter Williams and Tony Jones Jr. set to compliment each other in the backfield, Book should also have a decent run game to fall back on despite the loss of workhorse Josh Adams.