The 2022 season is still months away, but Brad Crawford of 247Sports has already listed the main concerns for each contender in college football.
Notre Dame will be entering a new era this fall. The days of Brian Kelly running the show are over.
Despite the coaching chance, how Marcus Freeman will fare is not the biggest concern for the Fighting Irish. Instead, Crawford is worried about the team’s quarterback situation.
Tyler Buchner and Drew Pyne are expected to square off for the starting quarterback job.
In 10 games last season, Buchner had 298 passing yards, 336 rushing yards and six total touchdowns. Pyne, meanwhile, had 224 passing yards and two touchdown passes.
Regardless of who gets the gig, Notre Dame needs its starter to perform well in marquee games.
“The quarterback stirs the drink and when Notre Dame is elite, there’s noticeable production under center. The season opener comes at Ohio State, so quarterback will be placed under the microscope early,” Crawford wrote.
Last season, Jack Coan completed 65.5 percent of his passes for the Fighting Irish. He finished the year with 3,150 passing yards, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
If Notre Dame can receive similar production this fall, it should be a contender for the College Football Playoff.