Notre Dame Football: 5 reasons Phil Jurkovec should start in 2018

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 01: Head coach Brian Kelly of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and his team wait to head on to the field for the start of the game against the Syracuse Orange at MetLife Stadium on October 1, 2016 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

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2. Jurkovec has the highest upside

Although Ian Book was listed as one of the top 20 quarterbacks in the 2016 class and Brandon Wimbush was a top-100 recruit and the No. 3 dual-threat in the 2015 class, Phil Jurkovec has the highest upside.

If we base expectations strictly off recruiting profiles, Wimbush would have had the highest of the trio, followed by Jurkovec and then Book. He was one of the top-50 recruits in the country and held nearly 20 offers from some of the top programs in the nation, but surprised everyone and picked the Irish.

However, we may have already seen what Wimbush can bring to the table, and although he has the potential to be the best running quarterback in the nation, he’s not a strong passer.

Jurkovec has a much higher upside. He has a strong, accurate arm, ideal size, strength, vision and the ability to throw on the run. He doesn’t make many poor decisions and when he does, he’s the type of confident kid who won’t let it affect him.

The incoming freshman’s upside is incredibly high and he could bring more to the table than Book or Wimbush.

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