Notre Dame football heads into the 2026 fall camp with one of the most talented rosters in college football, and the Fighting Irish quarterback room will be a focal point when practice opens on Aug. 4.

Head coach Marcus Freeman returns redshirt sophomore CJ Carr, who put together a tremendous redshirt freshman season, along with a group of young signal callers competing behind him. The backup quarterback battle figures to be one of the more fascinating position competitions in South Bend, even if its full impact won’t be felt on Saturdays this fall.

CJ Carr takes the next step

Carr enters 2026 as the unquestioned starter after throwing for 2,741 yards and 24 touchdowns while completing over 66 percent of his passes and throwing just six interceptions last season.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound signal caller is a gifted pocket passer who throws one of the better balls in all of college football. When he’s working well inside structure, he’s a very accurate quarterback who can attack all levels of the field.

The biggest question for Carr heading into this season is whether he can assimilate to being the absolute focal point of the offense. With running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price off to the NFL, Carr will no longer be able to lean on a pair of dynamic runners behind him. Can he create explosives on earlier downs through the passing game?

That will be critical for offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock’s group.

It would also be a massive step for Carr if he can improve his improvisation. He does not have to become a great running threat, but extending the pocket, creating plays outside of structure, and eliminating bad decisions would help him develop into an all-around playmaker at the position.

The backup battle

Behind Carr, there is going to be a legitimate competition for the No. 2 spot, and it deserves attention because it will shape Notre Dame’s quarterback future after the Carr era ends.

The early front-runner is redshirt freshman Blake Hebert. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound quarterback has notable arm talent and a bigger frame to work with, but he heads into fall camp with two talented freshmen aiming to push him.

The first is Noah Grubbs, who enrolled early and went through spring practice. At 6-foot-4, Grubbs is a bigger pocket passer who throws a very catchable ball, especially working vertically. His footwork and overall mechanics are a plus for a freshman.

Like Carr, though, he’s a player who will win mostly inside of structure. Grubbs will have to get past the early decision-making battles that every young quarterback goes through. If he can, he has a chance to push Hebert for the backup spot.

The biggest wild card in the group is Teddy Jarrard, who was originally a member of the 2027 recruiting class before reclassifying to 2026 to get on campus this fall. Because he did not enroll until the summer and skipped a year of development, it is unlikely that he will be a serious competitor for the backup role right away.

The learning curve in front of him is significant.

That won’t stop Jarrard from potentially fighting for the starting job whenever Carr decides to leave, and possibly even next offseason. He is a very talented quarterback, and during fall camp, folks are going to want to keep a close eye on him to see that incremental growth and confidence begin to build.

Why the backup battle matters

While the starting quarterback competition is settled, the development behind Carr will end up being paramount for Notre Dame’s future. Figuring out what the quarterback room looks like after the Carr era is a process that begins now, and fall camp will provide the first real evaluation period for these young signal callers.

With an elite defense returning under defensive coordinator Chris Ash and arguably the most athletically gifted offensive group that Denbrock has had in South Bend, the Fighting Irish are expected to be one of the best teams in college football. Carr is the engine of that offense. The players developing behind him could determine how long Notre Dame sustains this level for years to come.