Rees Pleased with QB Room

Tom Rees might know better than anyone what quarterback Brandon Wimbush is feeling heading into the season opener. The former Notre Dame signal caller has simple advice for the junior heading into September 2nd.

“The biggest thing is for him to find a routine to help him block out all the outside things that come with being the starting quarterback at Notre Dame,” Rees explained on Wednesday. “For me, I just need to prep him and help him through what it’s going to be like leading up to that time. I want to help him focus on what’s important and what it takes to play.

“As long as you’re prepared when you get in the game, you should feel pretty good.”

Wimbush showed off his ability in the spring, but in Fall Camp, the New Jersey native has been a bit limited, as the Irish aren’t hitting Wimbush for obvious reasons.

Rees knows when the lights come on against Temple, Wimbush will have more freedom to make plays, as his legs will finally be a weapon.

“You see flashes throughout practice, but he’s not a guy we are going to put live, so you don’t see the full capacity,” Rees said of Wimbush’s talent. “It works to his advantage because he is able to go through practice and continue to get better with his reads and progressions from the pocket.

“You see the raw ability he has and the ability to extend plays and make plays down the field. It helps the offense and is to his benefit.”

Rees was calm, cool, and collected as a quarterback and he see’s some of those same traits in the 6-foot-2, 226-pounder.  

“He’s pretty calm and even keeled, which is great to have in that position,” stated Rees. “He’s a competitor, and he likes to win. He stays calm throughout practice and the ups and downs that come with camp.”

As for the backup job, sophomore Ian Book gets compared to Rees a lot, but his position coach is quick to point out they have different skill sets.  

“Ian is more athletic than I ever was and that’s the thing people don’t give him enough credit for,” said Rees. “He has the ability to use his legs and extend plays outside the pocket. He needs to keep studying to get better and better.”

“He’s done a good job to this point, but he needs to continue to push himself in the classroom and with what exactly everyone should be doing.”

Freshman Avery Davis might not be getting a ton of reps, but the Texas native is putting in the work to develop his game. Davis has also impressed Rees and the staff with his ability to ask questions and stay engaged.

“His overall demeanor has been really good in his position,” explained Rees. “It doesn’t seem like it’s too big for him at any point. He does a good job of asking questions in the classroom. A freshman isn’t getting a lot of work, and he does a great job of supplementing that work by being active while we’re going through things. When we’re on the field, he asks questions, and we talk through it.”

The ability for Davis to take mental reps and not get frustrated with the lack of attention is positive and will pay off in the end.

“The way he has prepared himself is what you want in a quarterback,” said Rees. “Like any true freshman coming in, the biggest thing for the game to slow down is the way you mentally prepare for it. For him, it’s about studying the playbook and knowing what the offense is asking him to do.”