Ian Book Takes Advantage Of Next Chapter
Will Hewlett is used to the questions.
When it comes to Ian Book, his longtime personal quarterback coach understands why they’re asked, but Hewlett is also convinced they come down to one simple factor, Book’s height.
“If you were to add three inches on to him, we’d never be having any of these conversations,” Hewlett says.
Book, who is listed at 6-0 by Notre Dame, wasn’t pegged by many as an elite quarterback prospect coming out of Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado, Calif., back in 2016. Book had been committed to Washington State, the only other Power-5 offer he had at the time, before flipping to the Irish the August before his senior season. Other West Coast schools later expressed regret about having overlooked him.
“We get caught up in measureables whether it’s arm strength or height or the physical appearances of QBs,” says Hewlett. “At the end of the day, it’s about producing and producing under pressure.”
Book certainly produced this past weekend in just his second career start for Notre Dame, throwing for 325 yards and two touchdowns while scoring three more on the ground in the Irish’s 56-27 victory over Wake Forest.
“From having the luxury of watching him in person in high school and knowing him personally, he rises to the occasion whether he’s under pressure or under duress,” Hewlett explains. “He’s got that It Factor. It’s a cliché term, but he has It. I think Notre Dame respected what he did on the field as a high school player. That’s why (former Notre Dame offensive coordinator) Mike Sanford thought he was a baller.
“I don’t think they truly knew how good he was until they let him go on the field. I think people are starting to see what I’ve known for many years.”
While the yards and touchdowns jump off the page, Book completed 25 of his 34 pass attempts, giving the Irish offense the efficiency it often lacked under Brandon Wimbush.
“I’ve worked with a lot of high school quarterbacks at all levels and there have been a couple of guys who were close to 70-percent completion percentage guys in high school and Ian’s one of those,” Hewlett says. “It doesn’t matter the offense or the situation, he’s always completed a lot of passes. I think that’s something you have to take into account, his game has been efficient since he stepped on a football field.”
Not only is Book accurate with the football, he understands where the ball needs to be placed.
“There are talented throwers and then there are talented quarterbacks,” Hewlett says. “This is evident in training, in the offseason, in practice, that kid will put the ball where it needs to be with anticipation. It’s something that’s come natural to him, but he’s continued to work on it.”
Hewlett pointed to Book’s three-yard touchdown pass to tight end Brock Wright in the second quarter.
“People don’t realize how difficult that was and how quickly he got that out with such an awkward angle,” he says of the fourth-down play. “He’s also able to make throws from off-balance positions pretty easily. That was routine for him in high school.
“One of the things we spent time working on this offseason was being able to throw more on your back foot and staying more connected to the ground when you have pressure in your face. You see he can kind of sit in the pocket and just pull the trigger under duress and not have to worry about making an errant throw.”
While he will never be confused with Wimbush when it comes to athleticism or being a runner, Hewlett says people are starting to realize Book is much more than a traditional pocket passer.
“I believe Ian is a laser-4.7, which is extremely fast,” Hewlett continues. “Physically, he’s put together very well. He’s got big joints, long arms, big feet. He’s got a lot of the physical characteristics of someone taller. I think the only thing he may lack from a prototypical standpoint is height.”
If Book can continue to display the consistency he’s shown so far, it should make things easier on the entire structure of Notre Dame’s offense.
“If you’re one of the coaches, you can call a play and now what to expect,” Hewlett explains. “Knowing what to expect allows you to jump into a more detailed game plan. If you know what you’re going to get from your quarterback, it’s easier to set things up and have a progression.
“When the passes that you’re supposed to complete are completed and then the intermediate level passes are completed, the run game then is going to be a completely different factor. Now the box is going to change, defensive backs are going to have to respect the vertical passing game. That takes pressure off the offensive line, that allows the run game to open up and when Ian runs in addition to that, it puts the defense in a position where now they can’t pin their ears back and take the chance to get beaten on a big play.”
Having waited patiently for his opportunity, redshirting as a freshman and seeing spot duty last season, Book will now have new challenges to face as the presumed starter moving forward.
“He gathered national recognition pretty quickly, so I think the expectation level has probably gone through the roof to an extent,” says Hewlett. “I think he’s smart enough to understand that and know he still has to go out there and perform.
“He’s still got growth and learning ahead of him and timing. More of the offense is going to be laid on him, so I think there are still going to be some moments where they’re figuring out Ian and how he fits into the big scheme of things.”
Hewlett is confident Book will be up to the task.
“I think we’ll continue to see a lot of great, smart plays. From here on out, I think there’s going to be a rhythm and confidence that maybe there wasn’t before and they’ll kind of build on that.”