Notre Dame football: Brian Kelly names starting QB for season-opener

Notre Dame football head coach Brian Kelly has tabbed Jack Coan as his starting quarterback.

With the starting quarterback position up for grabs, Notre Dame football head coach Brian Kelly has decided on Wisconsin transfer Jack Coan to lead the Fighting Irish in their season-opener at Florida State.

Kelly said Coan was the most consistent of the three candidates up for the tall task of replacing Ian Book. Coan edged out Drew Pyne and Tyler Buchner for the starting job, among others. Given that the Florida State Seminoles are still rebuilding in year two of the Mike Norvell era in Tallahassee, the last thing Kelly wants is a starting quarterback to turn the ball over in Week 1.

How Notre Dame goes about replacing Book will decide what this year’s team’s ceiling really is.

Notre Dame football: Brian Kelly names Jack Coan starting quarterback

Throughout the College Football Playoff era, Notre Dame has been an undisputed top-six program in the nation. The Golden Domers have reached the playoff twice in the last three years. While the Irish are expected to regress a bit this year, that only means they are going somewhere around 10-2 and playing in a New Year’s Six bowl, in all likelihood. However, that may not be good enough.

Though Coan did lose his starting job in Madison to Graham Mertz, he does have ample experience playing in the Big Ten. Over three seasons at Wisconsin, Coan completed 68 percent of his passes for 3,278 yards, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions. If he can take care of the football and make a few big plays with his arm on third down, Notre Dame will remain a fixture in the top 10.

With Kelly siding with Coan, the pressure is on the Wisconsin transfer to live up to expectations.

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