There has been a lot of discussion surrounding the quarterback competition at Notre Dame as the team’s offense continues to struggle, but head coach Brian Kelly maintains that there is no reason to choose between senior Brandon Wimbush and junior Ian Book.
When asked on Thursday who his starting quarterback will be against Wake Forest this weekend, Kelly would not say. He did, however, say with certainty that both will get on the field.
“They’re both going to play,” Kelly said, via LaMond Pope of the Chicago Tribune. “I’ve said that all year. We need them both to win. And they’re both ready.”
Wimbush has started all three games this season, but Kelly is not willing to commit to that trend continuing on Saturday. When pressed to name a starter, he again reiterated that both quarterbacks are going to play.
Notre Dame has used Book mostly in red zone packages this season, and he has played in all three games. He has completed all three of his pass attempts for 13 yards and one touchdown, which was a two-yard pass in last week’s tough win over Vanderbilt.
“We recruited him to Notre Dame to win championships, just as we did with Brandon. That’s why we put him in the game against Vanderbilt — to win,” Kelly said of Book. “That’s why we put him in each and every week.”
Wimbush started all but one game last season for the Irish, but he was replaced in the Citrus Bowl when he was struggling. While Book led Notre Dame to a win over LSU in that game, Wimbush still won the starting job again during the summer. The Irish are averaging just 365.3 total yards of offense per game this season, which ranks 99th in the nation.
