Notre Dame Football: 5 reasons Ian Book should start for Irish in 2018
By Jacob Wilson
2. Losses on the offensive line hurt Wimbush’s game
One of the most significant losses that the Irish must overcome this season will be on the left side of their offensive line. Notre Dame will be losing left tackle Mike McGlinchey as well as left guard Quenton Nelson, both first round NFL talent who have etched their names into Notre Dame history. While this loss hurts all around, it will affect some players more than others.
For example, while McGlinchey and Nelson were both excellent in pass-blocking, they made their money creating lanes for Wimbush and Adams in the run game. While Book will be susceptible to some pressure from the left side, Wimbush would feel the brunt of the line changes while scrambling for lanes that used to be a given.
Again, this isn’t to say that Book won’t be affected by these changes, but rather to say that Book’s style of play will be less inhibited by the loss of two linemen well known for their ability to run block. Both players are great pass-blockers as well, but the changes would take less time getting used to for Book than they would for Wimbush.
Book, while not quite a dual-threat quarterback, still has decent pocket awareness and has shown equally impressive mobility. A makeshift offensive line will certainly rear its ugly head at some points in the season, but Book’s ability to stretch the field in the pass game should make the losses a bit more manageable.