Ian Book Announces He's Returning to Notre Dame for 5th Season
Notre Dame will have a familiar face under center in 2020, and hopefully it will lead to better results than the team saw this season.
Senior starting quarterback Ian Book announced via Instagram that he plans to return to Notre Dame for his fifth year.
Book took over as the team's starter in 2018, leading the team to an undefeated regular season record, before they were ultimately dismantled by the eventual National Champion Clemson Tigers in the CFP.
While Book's completion percentage took a huge hit this season (dropped from 68.2% to 60.2%) his touchdown to interception ratio improved dramatically (from 19:7 in 2018 to 34:6 in 2019). With one more strong season, Book may have a decent chance to pass Brady Quinn for some of the program's all-time passing records.
Likewise, Book will also be aiming to develop into a draft-worthy NFL signal caller with another season of experience in Brian Kelly's system.
Ian Book spent last summer at the Manning Passing Academy on the same fields as Trevor Lawrence. The Irish quarterback left thinking he’s closer to the Clemson quarterback. Now, with Book’s return for a fifth year, he’ll get a fresh look next November. https://t.co/6mtOJSK1o8
— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) December 30, 2019
With the potential to contend for one more National Championship (while also possibly boosting his draft stock), Book's decision to return to school for one more season is a wise one indeed.
He'll enter 2020 as one of the most experienced gunslingers in the nation, and the Fighting Irish will have high expectations for Book in his final chapter.