Two years we ago we debuted the 18 Stripes Hall of Fame Pyramid for Notre Dame football and its extensive history of wonderful talent. You can read the final rankings from 2019 HERE with links to the previous levels of the pyramid linked therein.
We’re now adding players who have left Notre Dame since the conclusion of the 2019 season. Next up to be inducted is the quarterback who defied the odds and left his mark on the school record books.
*Players are listed in order by their position with overall rankings to the left.
192. DeShone Kizer, QB, Toledo, Ohio (2014-16)
156. Ron Powlus, QB, Berwick, Pennsylvania (1993-97)
132. Jimmy Clausen, QB, Sherman Oaks, California (2007-09)
131. Frank Dancewicz, QB, Lynn, Massachusetts (1943-45)
114. Ian Book, QB, El Dorado Hills, California (2016-20)
73. Harry Stuhldreher, QB, Massillon, Ohio (1922-24)
70. Joe Montana, QB, Carroll, Pennsylvania (1974-78)
60. Gus Dorais, QB, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin (1910-1913)
54. John Huarte, QB, Anaheim, California (1962-64)
52. Joe Theismann, QB, South River, New Jersey (1968-70)
49. Tony Rice, QB, Woodruff, South Carolina (1986-90)
39. Bob Williams, QB, Baltimore, Maryland (1948-50)
36. Tom Clements, QB, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (1972-74)
32. Ralph Guglielmi, QB, Columbus, Ohio (1951-54)
30. Brady Quinn, QB, Dublin, Ohio (2003-06)
13. Terry Hanratty, QB, Butler, Pennsylvania (1966-68)
10. Frank Carideo, QB, Mount Vernon, New York (1928-30)
7. Angelo Bertelli, QB, West Springfield, Massachusetts (1941-43)
5. Paul Hornung, QB, Louisville, Kentucky (1954-56)
2. Johnny Lujack, QB, Connellsville, Pennsylvania (1946-47)
You may recall following the first win against Clemson in 2020 that I discussed how high Ian Book could climb in our Pyramid. A second win over Clemson in the ACC Championship Game and a good showing (win or lose) in the playoffs probably secured a spot for Book inside of the Top 70 overall. However, fate would have other plans.
Of course, you could argue Book should be rated higher and that’s why we do these things to spark discussion. For the quarterback position though, it’s a very tough group to crack. For example:
There are 15 quarterbacks ranked ahead of Book. From that group, 9 of them won at least 1 National Championship as starting quarterback while 4 won a Heisman. A handful more (Theismann, Rice, Clements, Quinn, Hanratty) were in the running to win the Heisman at least once while Dorais and Carideo would’ve likely won the award if it existed during their playing days.
It’ll be interesting to see how history ultimately remembers Book. Will these last years of the Brian Kelly era not quite match the winning from Book’s days? Or, will we see Notre Dame step up a level with someone like Tyler Buchner stamping his name on the record books in an even bigger way? How will Book’s career with the New Orleans Saints and beyond in the NFL color his legacy if at all?
We should mention that Book finished 9th in the Heisman voting for 2020 which is an important part of his legacy. He was able to carve out a season in which he was one of the 10 best quarterbacks in the country–and while we’ll never look back on his season passing numbers and be blown away–it was good for him to put a bit of a stamp for personal accolades on his final year at Notre Dame.
114 feels a little low for Book’s career accomplishments, given the importance of the QB position on the field. No one won more games as a starting QB, and he leaves 2nd in passing yards and TD’s. It’s a different game over all the years and difficult to directly compare, but it’s not like Book threw 50 times a game, run-n-gun or anything. He had a memorable statement game en route to defeating the #1 team. And IIRC, he never lost a game at home.
Tough to say without seeing the whole list just how much higher I’d put him, but it would be a little higher. And for a hot take: if he performed like he did in the first Clemson game in either of the last 2 games of the season, to me that would have opened the door for top 50. Not trying to take away from Quinn, but looking back a lot of his numbers feel like empty calorie stats. Who’d he ever beat, Pawwwl? Book beat almost everyone, sometimes seemingly willing the team to late wins.
Following the 2006 season, Quinn won several awards, including the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award[13] for the best college quarterback in the nation and the Maxwell Award[14] for the best college football player.[15] He was named the Cingular All-America Player of the Year[16] and was named to the 2006 AP All-America Team as a second-team quarterback.[
Ian Book didn’t get a sniff at any of these.
And I’m thrilled he was able to pad stats with his best games that against a 3-9 UNC, a 4-8 MSU, Purdue and Air Force to get there, but that still doesn’t answer the question about what the biggest Brady Quinn win ever was…
(BTW, the 2006 offense with Quinn putting up great numbers averaged 31.0 points/game. Ian Book’s 2020 was at 33.4 points/game with a higher competition floor…Food for thought)
Given the numbers, I’m not saying rank Book above Quinn (I wouldn’t), just the dichotomy between the two players stands out a lot. They’re opposite in a lot of respects.
First difference being one was better than the other. Quinn 29 wins, they weren’t all against cream puffs. Giving Book credit for all the games ND won with him is as silly as blaming Quinn for the games ND lost with him. Book had more than a couple stinkers that ND won despite his play.
2006-16th in the nation in scoring, strength of schedule 25th. 2020-scoring 30th. strength of schedule 51st.
“Padded his stats” ?…From silly to ridiculous.
We’re missing 2 key points here in the silliness:
1) I said I would rank Brady Quinn as a better college QB than Ian Book. I also said 2006 BQ padded stats against weak teams, which is true:
Brady Quinn 2006 played 3 service academies + 3-9 UNC + 4-8 MSU: 19 TD, 2 INT 1385 yards, 5-0 record
Brady Quinn vs the eight others 2016: 18 TD, 5 INT, 2041 yards, 5-3 record
2) You’re getting worked up in a tizz and for a third time still can’t tell me the best Brady Quinn win at Notre Dame
Not sure there was much time for stat-padding against MSU in 2006.
I wouldn’t knock Quinn’s schedules as being weak in this comparison, especially considering that Book’s senior season was against the all-ACC poo poo platter with a side of USF, which is probably the worst team I have never seen ND play.
Bowling Green is insulted at your insinuation that USF is the worst team we’ve ever played.
Very true about the dichotomy.
Quinn’s surrounding cast was pretty poor, though. Okay defense, an offensive line that you wouldn’t write home about, and a non-existent run game at times. It felt like so much more was riding on Quinn’s arm than anything Book was tasked with doing.
But no doubt, Quinn’s schedules and lists of wins is pretty poor.
Quinn clearly was a more natural and better passer, but I’d say with Book’s mobility and having to extend plays, plenty was put on him especially in the Tony Jones years. The numbers are what they are and Quinn put up gaudy stats, but I do feel some are like the “popcorn muscles” of standing out and looking really impressive but not having a ton of substance behind it.
Quinn deserves the spot he carved out. Just as the natural 1-2 QBs of the modern eras, Book’s career achievements make it an interesting comparison.
You do have to credit guys for being there when success happens to some degree – Book deserves a spot on this list given how many careers wins he has and I was pleasantly surprised to not see him ranked too highly – but on the other hand while Quinn lacks the team Ws I have zero doubt these last few seasons go markedly better if Quinn could magically replace Book. On the other hand, those Quinn teams are hurt badly if we slot Book in instead.
The more interesting discussion to me is Book vs. Clausen. I think again, Clausen is the better player and you see the same improvement/decline in a hypothetical swap, but Book will rightly be remembered more fondly and as more accomplished, so the higher ranking makes sense.
This whole debate is fascinating, but more than the Brady comparison (come on, BQ > Book, let’s be real; it’s a question of how much more) I think the much more realistic question is who was better: Ian Book or Jimmy Clausen?
It’s so hard to separate the QB from the team, and Book’s results are what they are so he probably should be ahead but… I don’t know Clausen seems like the better quarterback? Maybe could have beaten Georgia? Who knows.
Book > Clausen for body of work, given Clausen only played three seasons. If Clausen came back for a fourth, the story might be different.
Down five points with 4 minutes left @Pitt in ’09 Jimmy Clausen threw an interception to seal a loss, so it would be a pretty incredible projection that Clausen would could win @UGA in ’19. I’d be more confident about Ian Book’s chances @Pitt in ’09, if we’re going to hypothetical island.
Quinn’s supporting cast was pretty poor? Jeff Samardzija, Maurice Stovall, Rhema McKnight, John Carlson, and Anthony Fasano. That’s 2 2nd round picks, a 3rd round pick, an undrafted free agent, and a guy who would have been a first round pick if he didn’t go to the MLB instead!
Book completed 6%(!!!!) more of his passes, for more yards per attempt, than Quinn. Book had a better TD:INT ratio than Quinn, and a lower INT %.
This is not a case to move Ian Book up. Instead, I am here to once again reiterate my objection to the idea that Brady Quinn is one of the 30 greatest players in Notre Dame history.
Right, you named zero OL, RB, or defenders though.
2006 had Quinn, Shark, McKnight, Walker, Carlson, Harris, Abiarmiri, Landri, Laws, Zibby and then an insanely huge drop-off in talent.
Sam Young was a freshman All American RT and Ryan Harris was on the other side and the center Dan Santucci also got drafted in ’07. That’s not nothing for OL, though surely not as good as it is today, still had at least 3 pros.
2 CB’s in Mike Richardson and Chinedum Ndukwe also both got drafted in ’07 (as did the two DL you named), so it wasn’t as if the defense was totally devoid of talent.
I get the overall point that the 85 player roster was way, way deeper and better in 2020 then it was in 2006, but 2006 had more than 2 good players on it.
2nd round pick Julius Jones. Darius Walker averaged 5.0 YPC and had 56 catches in 2006. 3 O Linemen who were drafted. Quinn wasn’t playing with empty offensive rosters.
Darius Walker that announced for the draft and then wasn’t drafted ?
Walker was much like Book in that for the time he was at ND, though performing well, most everyone wished we had a better player at that position. They both made the most of their limited skills.
Julius Jones only played with Quinn his freshman year.(2003)
2020 Kyren Williams averaged only 0.3 yards per carry more than Walker, and had 36 catches. 2019 we had the slowest back I’ve seen since Robert Hughes, Tony Jones. I would definitely take Dex over Julius Jones though by a significant margin. I love Dex so so much.
Someone can spend the time power ranking all the OL that Book played with compared to Dan Santucci.
Quinn played with Julius Jones for like 8 games.
I do think Quinn was irreplaceable to his teams in a way Book was not. Can you imagine what would have happened if Quinn tore his ACL or something like that? Weis’s offense would have immediately ground to a halt and we’d probably lose every single game.
Evan Sharpley to the rescue!
If you put Ian Book on Quinn’s teams, I don’t think our record is any worse. If you put Quinn on Book’s teams, I almost guarantee our record is worse.
Wow, how soon we forget. Complaint last fall after complaint that the QB position (and others) was where the Elite separated themselves from ND. A complaint never heard when Brady Quinn was NDs QB.
That is a baffling take. Noodle armed Ian Book probably drops a few losses that Brady got and Quinn absolutely improves the last few times. Not the 30th best player in Irish history, okay, but clearly better than Book.
I think the exact opposite. 5’10” Ian taking constant poundings behind a Weis o-line would have killed him. Meanwhile, Quinn’s deep ball ability was exactly what the 2018-2020 offenses needed to move into the top level of college football.
Quinn was a decent runner too, by the way — he had the longest individual run of the Weis era at SC in 2006. He was in an offense that almost never called for him to run, but in ND’s current offense, I think he’d do just fine.
“Ian Book is better than Brady Quinn” is a flaming hot take
The biggest Brady Quinn win was Penn State 2006.
Only because Terrell Lambert’s fingers weren’t 3 inches longer.
pretty sure it was Ambrose Wooden
Could have been. Quinn’s late TD would have been much higher in Irish lore if so.