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Notre Dame 2021 Scholarship Breakdown: Quarterbacks

When Notre Dame begins the second semester of its 2020-21 academic year on Feb. 3, our count has 88 football players on scholarship, including the 26 recruits who signed in December (with 14 who could potentially enroll this February).

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Notre Dame Fighting Irish football quarterback Jack Coan
Jack Coan had 18 career starts at Wisconsin in 2018-19 before sitting out 2020. (Thomas J. Russo/USA TODAY Sports)

More additions could be added during the February late signing period, notably three-star Metairie, La., running back Logan Diggs, who verbally committed to Notre Dame last July but did not ink with the Irish during the early signing period in December while giving the process more thought.


There is no shortage of numbers at any position group, with 42 scholarship players on offense, 42 on defense and four specialists.

The scholarship number is beyond the typical 85, but it is impertinent this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic that led the NCAA to rule 2020 as a free year. Come 2022, the number is supposed to get back to 85, so roster management and balance will be carefully monitored during this time.

Below is the breakdown by position, and the class year (with eligibility in parentheses) is defined by the individual's academic year when the fall semester begins in August 2021.

Quarterbacks — 5

This is the first time in head coach Brian Kelly’s 12-year tenure he will enter spring drills with as many as five scholarship quarterbacks, although junior Brendon Clark might not be able to participate in live action while getting a “cranky” knee repaired.

5th-Year Senior: Jack Coan (6-3, 221)

Graduate transfer from Wisconsin was 12-6 as the Badgers’ starter in 2018-19, but underwent right foot surgery this past Oct. 3 and did not play.

In his career he has completed 68.0 percent of his 437 passes for 3,278 yards, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions, and is credited with 76 runs for minus-11 yards and five scores


Seniors: None


Junior: Brendon Clark (6-2, 212)

Redshirted as a freshman (2019) when he took 19 snaps, completing his lone pass for a 22-yard touchdown and rushing five times for 33 yards.

In 2020 he took 18 snaps, completing 1 of 3 passes for seven yards and losing four yards on his lone carry before getting shut down at the end of the season because of a knee problem.


Sophomore: Drew Pyne (5-11½, 194)

Took 25 snaps this season, completing 2 of 3 passes for 12 yards and rushing once for four yards.


Freshmen: Tyler Buchner (6-2, 205) and Ron Powlus III (6-3, 230)

Dual threat Buchner did not have a senior year of football at California because of the shutdowns from the coronavirus, but he still was ranked the nation’s No. 111 overall prospect by Rivals.

A Notre Dame legacy whose father started at quarterback for the Irish from 1994-97, Powlus will arrive with much less fanfare but as a valued insurance policy.

3 Questions/Analysis

Why is there such a dramatic gap between the classes/eligibility?

Notre Dame 2017 quarterback recruit, Avery Davis, is expected to return as the starting slot, where he caught 24 passes for 322 yards and two scores this past season, all the most among returning Irish wideouts in 2021.

The 2018 signal-caller recruit, Phil Jurkovec, transferred to Boston College last January and is starting for the Eagles.


Is Coan as the 2021 starter a fait accompli?

The coaching staff will likely have the necessary rhetoric about open competition, but Coan was brought in to help bridge the gap between the three-year Ian Book (ninth in this year’s Heisman balloting) era from 2018-20, plus buy time for everyone else to develop, be it physically or in knowledge of dealing with college defenses.

It’s comparable to signing Northwestern wideout Ben Skowronek and North Carolina State cornerback Nick McCloud for a needed one-year stopover in 2020. They weren’t game-changers who would close the chasm with Alabama, but they were valued, needed and effective plug-ins who at least gave the Irish a chance to be in the College Football Playoff a second time in three years.


Will offensive coordinator Tommy Rees run the same base as in 2020?

The “base” centered on physicality this past season, and that’s an identity the staff wants to maintain. However, with the graduation of four starting offensive linemen and the departure of two tight ends, especially superb blocker Tommy Tremble turning pro as a junior, playing to different strengths are part of adjusting in the football world.

Coan does not provide the same ad-lib running skills of Book, who rushed for 1,517 yards in his career to go with 8,948 passing, but he might display more patience in the pocket (provided the protection is there) and make quicker reads while possibly opening up the downfield game.

Trade-offs are inevitable, but it always remains to be seen what is more effective in each given year.

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