Notre Dame football is firmly entrenched in Fall camp, and the 2026 college football season is just on the horizon.

There is no question about who the starting quarterback is for head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish. Quarterback CJ Carr returns as a redshirt sophomore after throwing for 2,741 yards and 24 touchdowns a year ago while also only throwing six interceptions and completing over 66% of his passes. He is expected to be one of the best quarterbacks in the country.

Despite that settled starter, there is still a quarterback battle raging behind the scenes. Three quarterbacks are vying for the backup position right now, and the early returns on one of them have been turning heads throughout camp.

The 3 quarterbacks competing behind Carr

The most veteran of the group is redshirt freshman signal caller Blake Hebert, who brings an intriguing level of arm talent and overall upside. Hebert has reportedly been developing a little slowly behind the scenes. He also missed a week while tending to a personal issue, so he is still fighting back in terms of lost reps during fall camp.

Then you have a pair of true freshmen in Noah Grubbs and Teddy Jarrard. Grubbs was in South Bend for the spring and has benefited from Hebert’s absence over the last week, making him the more experienced of the two freshman quarterbacks.

Jarrard, the more talented of the two freshman signal callers, did not enroll until the summer and is playing catch-up. Freeman talked about him needing time, reps, and experience to hopefully trend upward in this quarterback battle.

The Irish staff views this as an ongoing evaluation throughout the entire season as these quarterbacks are constantly assessed.

Jarrard’s rapid ascension

Over the last couple of weeks, there has been more and more clamor toward Jarrard, and he has continuously put out highlight plays flashing the overall talent and arm strength that the young quarterback possesses. His tools are arguably the best on the roster, but he conceivably also has the longest developmental path to go.

Seeing this development before our eyes and the positive remarks and feedback so far are incredibly beneficial for this team long term. The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder has a chance to be a special football player down the road if he is able to start digesting the playbook and cut the gap on the other quarterbacks.

Why this matters for Notre Dame’s future

After the 2026 season, depending on the year Carr puts together, he could have a very intriguing decision to make on whether to enter the 2027 NFL Draft. The three quarterbacks on campus outside of Carr are preparing as if they will have an opportunity to compete next offseason.

Seeing the quick maturation of Jarrard is the best-case scenario for this Notre Dame team heading into that next chapter. Without looking too far ahead, you want to see as many talented options on the roster as possible, including Champ Monds coming in via the 2027 recruiting class.

If Jarrard is able to develop as quickly as it seems like he has over the last week or so, he could really set himself up for being the guy after Carr. That battle is for the future, and a lot needs to happen between now and whenever Carr does make the jump to the NFL. I am incredibly encouraged by some of the feedback on Jarrard, and his ascension as a younger quarterback is incredibly vital for the present and future of this Notre Dame team.

How much these younger quarterbacks develop this camp and season could go a long way toward determining whether Notre Dame will have to entertain the transfer portal again in the future. Freeman and Co. would rather not have to go that route again, but it will depend on their confidence in their room.