Who is Fighting Irish quarterback Drew Pyne

The next Notre Dame star quarterback may have emerged Saturday in Chicago. Redshirt freshman Drew Pyne replaced Jack Coan in the second half, after the Fighting Irish starting quarterback exited with a hamstring injury.

Pyne put his accuracy and moxie on the national stage Saturday, leading Notre Dame to a 41-13 victory over Wisconsin and showing his natural playmaking skills.

A member of the 2020 class, Pyne challenged Coan for the starting job this spring and into the summer. A former four-star prospect out of New Canaan, Connecticut, he was not going to challenge Ian Book as a rookie but he did push Brendon Clark for the backup job.

While he almost won the starting job, true freshman Tyler Buchner has taken snaps against Toledo and Purdue. Buchner was not available Saturday with a lingering injury, providing an opportunity for Pyne.

What you need to know about Notre Dame’s Drew Pyne

Before even throwing a pass at New Canaan High School, Payne held offers from Alabama, Florida State, Penn State, South Alabama and South Carolina. Despite being undersized at 6-foot, 194-pounds, the quarterback’s arm talent was clear.

After his junior season at New Canaan, he was the school’s all-time leading passer. His father, George Pyne, is the former COO of NASCAR and board member at IMG. George Pyne is a graduate of Brown, where he played for the Bears and was an All-Ivy League player and team captain.

Drew Pyne’s football lineage does not step there, though. His great-grandfather, George Pyne Jr., was an All-American at Holy Cross before playing in the NFL for the Providence Steamrollers in 1931. His grandfather, George Pyne III, played in 1965 for the Boston Patriots of the AFL.

And Pyne’s uncle, Jim Pyne, was a unanimous All-American guard out of Virginia Tech and is considered one of the best to ever play at the school. His uncle played in the NFL for nine seasons with Tampa Bay, Detroit, Cleveland and Philadelphia.

Drew Pyne committed to Notre Dame early in the recruiting process in April 2018. Named an Under Armour All-American in his high school career, he was the No. 193 overall player nationally, and the No. 7 pro-style quarterback. He was the top recruit out of the state of Connecticut, too.

He appeared in the four games as a true freshman a year ago, going 2 of 3 for 12 yards. He did complete a seven-yard pass in the College Football Playoff semifinals against Alabama.