NFL Draft expert highlights the biggest improvement that Notre Dame QB CJ Carr needs to make during the 2026 CFB season
Where does Notre Dame star quarterback CJ Carr need to improve most to raise his stock for the 2027 NFL Draft? A prominent analyst spells it out.
Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr is coming off a strong redshirt freshman season in 2025. During that debut year as the starting signal caller for the Fighting Irish, the 6-2, 215-pound passer managed to throw for 2,741 yards and 24 touchdowns, while completing over 66 percent of his passes and throwing just six interceptions. Carr is expected to be one of the nation’s best in 2026 under head coach Marcus Freeman.
The NFL and NFL Draft media are also keeping a close eye on Carr, who is largely considered to be one of the early favorites in a loaded 2027 NFL Draft quarterback class. There is a ton of hype around Carr right now, and many believe that 2026 might be the last season that we see the redshirt sophomore passer in South Bend. That is assuming, of course, that Carr puts together a strong year.
In an early 2027 quarterback preview by ESPN NFL Draft analyst Jordan Reid, he highlighted some of the best draft-eligible signal callers. Carr was included in that talented crop.
Reid put him under the microscope, highlighting what Carr brings to the table, but maybe what he more importantly needs to improve on to continue to rise amongst a group that could include Arch Manning (Texas), Dante Moore (Oregon), LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina), and Julian Sayin (Ohio State), among others.
Here is what Reid wrote about Carr, his biggest strengths, and areas he most needs to improve on in 2026.
CJ Carr, Notre Dame
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 215 pounds
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Where he excels: Carr won a training camp battle as a redshirt freshman last season and ran with it, finishing with 2,741 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions. He has an easy throwing motion that generates beautiful spirals. When he’s on schedule, his eyes match his feet and he plays the game with a quiet lower half. Though he’s an average athlete, Carr can buy time with his quickness and isn’t afraid to gain yards on the ground when they’re available. Multiple scouts indicate Carr is the most popular choice as the signal-caller who could shoot high in Round 1. Notre Dame lost a lot of top skill players last season, so if Carr can shoulder the load and play well, his stock will rise.
Where he needs work: The next step in Carr’s development is limiting chaotic and forced plays. He tries so hard to make every play overwhelmingly positive that he will run in circles in hopes of finding things that simply aren’t there. That causes situations in which he’s too aggressive in attacking throwing windows that have already slammed shut. Learning to relegate to his checkdown or simply throw the ball out of bounds can prevent him from taking unnecessary sacks and straddling the line into turnover-worthy plays.
The next step for CJ Carr
Carr is billed as this really crisp processor, and while I think that he is a very intelligent quarterback, the game was clearly moving a bit fast for him in 2025 at times. That is understandable, and I am excited to see Carr play faster as a redshirt sophomore. There were times when Carr just looked rushed, which led to some bad decisions.
There is no question that Carr has an NFL skill set, and I am curious to see if he ends up being in the 2027 class or if he returns for another year to opt for the 2028 NFL Draft. The tools are all there, but there is a jump he needs to make next season. As Reid wrote, Carr is a player who could shoot up high in Round One with a big season.
Whether it is letting the game slow down or if Carr just needs to play a bit faster, that is the improvement most people will be watching next season. That led to some poor decisions and too many attempted Superman plays a year ago. The 2026 season has the potential to be a huge one for the talented signal caller.