Notre Dame knew what it had at quarterback entering 2020. The position could not have been more stable or clear of competition.
There is unlikely to be any competition entering the 2021 season, but that does not mean the Irish have much of an idea of what they have. With a graduate transfer who missed 2020 due to a foot injury, the former No. 2 who fell down the depth chart thanks to a “cranky” knee and an early-enrolled freshman who has not taken a competitive snap since the fall of 2019, Notre Dame has so many unknowns it is almost easy to forget about rising sophomore Drew Pyne, who finished 2020 as the primary Irish backup, even completing a pass in the Rose Bowl when the game was still theoretically in reach.