When Notre Dame landed Jack Coan as a graduate transfer from Wisconsin in January, it was presumed then he would become the Irish starting quarterback in 2021. On Saturday, head coach Brian Kelly finally made that official after one week of preseason practices.
“All three quarterbacks distinguished themselves in the spring and preseason camp,” Kelly said in a statement. “Clearly, each has the skills necessary to lead, but Jack Coan proved to be more consistent and therefore, going into our opener, gives us that best chance for success.”
The graduate part of Coan’s transfer became superfluous when the NCAA allowed each player one transfer without penalty beginning this past spring, but Coan still needed to beat out sophomore Drew Pyne and early-enrolled freshman Tyler Buchner to earn the starting gig at Florida State in three weeks.