Notre Dame football may have just solidified the future of the Fighting Irish offense with late 2026 recruiting addition
Notre Dame may have just solidified the future of the Fighting Irish offense.
Notre Dame heads into the 2026 college football season in a great place. Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish have a great roster returning, and that includes at quarterback with the talented CJ Carr. After a good redshirt freshman season a year ago, many expect Carr to take a big jump in 2026, which could help guide the Irish toward a National Championship run.
Although nobody knows if Carr will declare early for the 2027 NFL Draft after next season, the talented signal caller is already receiving that type of attention. The Notre Dame staff needs to prepare for the worst-case scenario, which is a huge reason why Kennesaw (Ga.) North Cobb quarterback Teddy Jarrard decided to reclassify to the 2026 class and sign early with the Irish. That gives Notre Dame two quarterbacks signing in 2026, along with Noah Grubbs.
Things became official on Wednesday, the second National Signing Day. Jarrard officially signed with Notre Dame, completing a stellar 2026 recruiting class with former Michigan kicker commit Micah Drescher. While Jarrard will now need to prove his worth, those around South Bend are extremely high on the young quarterback. Some believe he has a good chance to be the starter whenever Carr leaves for the NFL.
Jarrard will not officially enroll at Notre Dame until the Summer, giving him a couple of months to prepare on his own. Getting him to campus a year earlier, however, could prove to be very beneficial.
While it is unlikely that we will see much of Jarrard in 2026 while redshirting, he will be getting a lot of attention behind the scenes. If developed properly, there is a good chance that we will see Jarrard in a heated quarterback battle in 2027.
Teddy Jarrard’s recruiting background
Jarrard’s recruiting rankings took a bit of a hit after he reclassified from the 2027 recruiting class. Despite that, the Georgia native still ended up ranked as a four-star, the No. 231 overall player, the No. 15 quarterback, and the No. 28 player in the state of Georgia for the 2026 recruiting class, according to the 247 Sports Composite ranking. Jarrard ranked highest among ESPN’s rankings, finishing as the No. 178 overall player.
Notre Dame secured a huge victory when it landed Jarrard, a player who was viewed at the time as one of the biggest risers in the country. The talented signal caller chose the Fighting Irish over offers from Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, Miami, Clemson, Florida State, Auburn, Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Arkansas, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Cincinnati, NC State, Wisconsin, Virginia, Boston College, UNC, Duke, Syracuse, Wake Forest, and Purdue, among several others.
After starting at North Cobb Christian, Jarrard transferred to North Cobb for what turned out to be his final high school season. The 6-3, 190-pound passer threw for 2,300 and 18 touchdowns in 2025, completing 65 percent of his passes and throwing just five interceptions. Jarrard also added another 120 yards on the ground. While he isn’t a dynamic runner, Jarrard is more than capable of making a few plays with his feet.
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