CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey are in a heated battle to be the Notre Dame QB1 but it brings a lot more risk than many realize
The Notre Dame football program is in a very unique situation, and one we haven’t seen in several years. The Fighting Irish have a real quarterback competition on their hands, and two extremely talented signal callers are fighting for that spot. Whether you are a CJ Carr truther or Kenny Minchey stan, it’s hard not […]
The Notre Dame football program is in a very unique situation, and one we haven’t seen in several years. The Fighting Irish have a real quarterback competition on their hands, and two extremely talented signal callers are fighting for that spot. Whether you are a CJ Carr truther or Kenny Minchey stan, it’s hard not to be excited for what either can accomplish this fall as the potential starting quarterback.
Both these quarterbacks are extremely talented, so much so that their presence forced Steve Angeli to transfer to Syracuse after the spring. Angeli is a good player in his own right, but it was clear that the two younger quarterbacks were just substantially more talented. The raw arm talent and upside are what head coach Marcus Freeman and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock valued in this competition.
For the first time in a couple of years, the Fighting Irish are rolling with homegrown talent that they have developed fully themselves. While both signal callers give a lot of hope for the present and future of the team, the magnitude of this decision can’t be understated. If the Notre Dame staff does choose wrong, the repercussions could cause a ripple effect in the long-term outlook for the program.
In the wonderful world of the transfer portal, rosters can change drastically in the blink of an eye. In regards to the Carr vs Minchey battle, you have a competition that features two teams separated by just one year of eligibility. While it’s comforting to have both players for multiple years of eligibility remaining, there is also some risk when debating the present of this program.
If Carr wins the job, which is expected, then the future of Minchey has to be discussed to a degree. The redshirt freshman is a year younger than Carr, and if he wins out, how do you keep someone with less eligibility behind him happy? That’s not necessarily predicted a transfer, but you also can’t discount it. That is just the world we live in today.
If Minchey wins out, then it'll be interesting to see how Notre Dame handles the repercussions surrounding Carr, and potential disappointment. He has more eligibility than Minchey, so in theory you can still sell a future for him as a starting quarterback. Minchey does, however, have three years of eligibility remaining. Is Carr going to be down to continue to compete and potentially wait his turn? That feels unlikely, but you never know.
If one of those players does leave sometime in the near future, the quarterback depth chart does become a lot murkier. Behind Minchey and Carr, the only other scholarship quarterback on the roster is true freshman Blake Hebert. While he is very talented, Hebert will need some time to get up to speed on the college football level. There is some expectation that Tyler Buchner could shift back over to quarterback from wide receiver, but that is more about solidifying the depth than anything else.
Is Hebert someone the program is comfortable with being the main backup quarterback in the near future? Does the staff like him, or Noah Grubbs in the 2026 recruiting class, enough as a future answer at the position? All of those nuances are a part of the conversation, and why making the right decision is so important.
Notre Dame football in a 1-on-1 battle for one of the most dynamic pass catchers in the 2026 recruiting class from a priority area
Notre Dame is in another heated recruiting battle
