How Notre Dame QB Brandon Wimbush is establishing consistency

Laken Litman | IndyStar

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SOUTH BEND – One month after Brandon Wimbush was benched in Notre Dame’s bowl game, he met the guy who could help him land and keep the starting job next season.

There was no sign Wimbush wouldn’t play all four quarters against LSU on New Year’s Day, despite coach Brian Kelly saying afterward that both quarterbacks knew they were going to get time in that game. Wimbush started all but one game his rookie season, sitting out versus North Carolina with a minor injury. But after the first series in the second quarter against the Tigers, Wimbush was subbed out for backup Ian Book and didn’t return. Book led the Irish to a thrilling 21-17 win, which included a late 55-yard touchdown pass to Miles Boykin to clinch a 10-win season. The two have been in a quarterback competition since.

Wimbush suffered from mechanical and confidence issues throughout the year. He showed glimpses of what he could be — throwing for a season-high 280 yards against Wake Forest and completing 70 percent of his passes in a road win against Michigan State. Those performances were infrequent, however. He threw for more than 200 yards in just three of 11 games, completed 49.5 percent of his passes, and earned a 121.4 passer rating, ranking him 87th among quarterbacks nationally.

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Wimbush’s inconsistencies weren’t for a lack of trying. He diligently worked to make improvements, but didn’t understand why he couldn’t throw 10 perfect passes in a row, for example.

That’s when he started working with Taylor Kelly. The former Arizona State starting quarterback is now an instructor with 3DQB, a biomechanics and performance company run by former pitching coach turned quarterback guru Tom House. The company’s client base includes Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Andrew Luck.

“Brandon’s whole thing was he knows he’s good, he just didn’t know how to make his throws repeatable every single time,” Taylor Kelly told IndyStar. “He could spin the football, he has great arm strength, but there would be times in different positions of, ‘Why can’t I do this 10 of 10 instead of maybe six of 10 or five of 10?’

“So that’s where we come in.”

3DQB’s mission is to maximize quarterbacks' physical and mental potential for competition by working on functional strength and conditioning, mechanics and motion analysis, mental and emotional management, and nutrition.

Wimbush and Taylor Kelly essentially synced up through Notre Dame. Kelly knows offensive coordinator Chip Long and wide receivers coach Del Alexander because they coached at ASU while he played there from 2012-14.

Wimbush and Kelly had four sessions together in South Bend in February, a few more in Orange County during Notre Dame's spring break in March, and might meet up this summer before the team reconvenes for camp in August. They keep in regular contact and Wimbush occasionally sends videos for feedback. Wimbush, not Notre Dame, pays for these extra skill sessions.

“I know Tom House and what he does and Taylor works for Tom so I felt like if we were going to do something outside the network, I would prefer it to be with that group,” Brian Kelly said. “(Brandon) agreed and I think benefited greatly from their work with them.”

Taylor Kelly prepared for the first practice with Wimbush by watching film. Then he observed Wimbush throwing in their first session.

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Throughout the season and into spring, Brian Kelly had said Wimbush needed to sharpen his footwork and delivery. Upon observation, Taylor Kelly agreed.

“He has a natural delivery, so it was more of just getting that consistent lower body to time it up with his upper body to get the most velocity from his ground force and torque into the football,” Kelly said.

“We did a lot of stuff with his drops. There would be times when he’d hitch up to the receivers or he would tempo his drop and then be really slow out of the hitch.”

Kelly noticed that most of his work was about instilling confidence. He had to make Wimbush understand that he could trust receivers were going to be in a spot if he threw the ball there.

“I think that threw off why he would be late and his feet would be a little bit messed up,” Kelly said. “He fully wouldn’t trust his ability with his drops, his feet, his arm, with the receivers he was throwing to. Whether it was the third-string guy or the first-string guy. He had to get over that hump mentally."

Brian Kelly said he’s already seen improvement.

“I’d say his drop is consistent, which allows him to get the ball out timely,” the Irish coach said. “He was late on a lot of throws last year and consequently put himself in bad positions. His accuracy is better, especially on some of the shorter throws. But I think if I would highlight one thing, he’s cleaned up his footwork, which has given him a lot more confidence in getting the ball out on time.”

Wimbush has noticed, too.

“(Accuracy) is definitely been better than it has been,” Wimbush said. “My shorter throws, that was where I needed to improve the most, and I think improving my footwork allows me to do that.”

Taylor Kelly said the inconsistencies with Wimbush’s delivery had to do with body position. Something as simple as whether his hips were open, if his upper body was relaxed, or if his weight was too far forward into his foot strike.

“There were times where he would move and slide to the left, his body wasn’t in the right position to make an efficient throw and he would have to compensate for his athleticism and just get away with his arm,” Kelly said. “Sometimes the ball would look sweet and the next time it would be in the dirt at the guy’s feet. Those inconsistencies are huge and he just didn’t know how to find that position. .

“It was our job to kind of make that happen and make him aware of, this is what was going on and why this one felt really sweet and then you did the same thing but it felt crappy. We gave him that toolbox of why and how to fix it.”

Kelly also changed up Wimbush’s daily pre- and post-practice routines. They now include biometric exercises and mechanical drills that get him warmed up more quickly, and Wimbush said he thinks they’re helping already.

“I’m taking my daily routine seriously,” Wimbush said. “Not that I didn’t last year, but I think it’s been more effective for me as I’ve implemented some new intricacies.”

Wimbush’s assignment this summer leading up to fall camp is to keep up with the routine Kelly created during their first meeting.

“Don’t overthink things and keep it simple,” Kelly said. “Trust what his coaches have instilled in him and the process he created, and if he masters that this summer, he will have a tremendous year and achieve the goals he wants to achieve.”

Brian Kelly has made it clear all spring that consistency is the No. 1 priority for a quarterback to lock down the starting job for the fall.

Wimbush looked the part during Notre Dame’s spring game in April. Will his extra work pay off next season?

Taylor Kelly predicts it will.

“I think the biggest difference in his game will be his ability to be repeatable and throw with conviction,” he said. “Just be decisive in his reads and decisions, and do it 100 miles per hour as opposed to 80 with uncertainty."

You can find Notre Dame Insider Laken Litman on Twitter: @LakenLitman.