Notre Dame Football: 5 keys to a successful 2019 season for Irish

4. Notre Dame needs a new top receiver

Last year, Ian Book’s best friend on the field was Miles Boykin. Boykin was the trusted receiver in almost every situation. Book knew that he could just throw it in Boykin’s direction and likely get a completion out of it.

Without Boykin this year, someone needs to step up and be that for Ian Book. If this passing game is going to improve from last year, Book needs a trusted receiver to make the big plays. Whether it’s getting wide open deep down the field or turning a 5-yard slant into a 50-yard touchdown, he just needs someone to trust.

The leading candidate for top receiver will easily be Chase Claypool. he was slightly behind Boykin last year with 639 receiving yards on 50 receptions. The thing his game lacked, however, was  ability to reach pay dirt. He only had four touchdowns on the season. This is partially because the offense turned to Dexter Williams in the red zone, and Claypool had to compete with Boykin.

Without either of them, Claypool should be the easy candidate to get the touchdowns in tough situations. The offense will put more faith in their quarterback, and that will lead to more trust in Claypool as well. If Ian Book ever takes a risk down the field, it will likely be going to Claypool. I believe that he has the ability to grow into the top receiver role, and it is crucial that he does so. Without a top receiver, Ian Book will not have the ability to grow as a passer in the offense.