Notre Dame redshirt freshman quarterback CJ Carr is beginning to turn a lot of heads, not only in the Fighting Irish fan base but on the national level as well. Through four games, Carr has thrown for 1,091 yards and scored 10 total touchdowns, while completing north of 68 percent of his passes, throwing just two interceptions, and averaging a stellar 10.5 yards per attempt. This is some of the most impressive quarterback play that Fighting Irish fans have seen in a long, long time, especially when you consider two of those games came against Miami and Texas A&M.

For those who follow recruiting, you probably remember Carr’s recruitment as being a fascinating one. The Michigan native was drawn to the Irish program very early on in the 2024 recruiting cycle. Despite his obvious ties to the in-state Wolverines, former Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees made the 6-3, 210-pound signal caller a huge priority extremely quickly. Despite other talented signal callers such as Ohio State standout Julian Sayin having a very real early interest in the Irish, there was no questioning that Carr was their guy in that class.

When I talk about legitimate interest from Sayin, it isn’t just a broad-stroke claim. There was a time before Carr publicly committed back in June of 2022 that Notre Dame was viewed as the slight leader for Sayin. Things never got further than being a “slight favorite” with the Irish focusing on Carr. Rees knew who he wanted, and there was no secret with that push. It was always going to be Carr if he wanted to come.

Life went on for Sayin, who ended up being ranked as a five-star player and the No. 1 quarterback on the 247 Sports Composite ranking for the 2024 group. The 6-1, 205-pound passer eventually chose the Alabama Crimson Tide. Sayin ended up transferring to Ohio State after he signed once former Crimson Tide legend Nick Saban opted to retire. He is now the starting quarterback for the Buckeyes, throwing for 987 yards and 10 touchdowns through four contests.

That early decision by Carr to select Notre Dame, however, didn’t only have an effect on just Ohio State. At one point, the Fighting Irish held a commitment to another five-star signal caller. A public declaration never happened, and things changed once Carr was in the fold.

Choosing between elite quarterbacks

Even before Carr opted to commit to Notre Dame, a fellow Michigan high school signal caller also had a lot of interest in the Irish. For months, the team held a silent commitment from current Oregon starting quarterback Dante Moore, who was a member of the 2023 recruiting class. There was a moment where it appeared that the program was going to land two five-star quarterbacks out of the Michigan backyard in back-to-back classes. The Moore support system, however, wasn’t going to allow that to happen.

The Moore side, and specifically his father, did not want the two talented quarterbacks to both end up in South Bend. Dante had a high opinion of Notre Dame, and is a good young man overall, but this quickly became a situation where the Irish staff needed to choose one or the other. It was either going to be Moore or Carr signing with Notre Dame, but it did not seem like both were an option to do so. Carr ended up being the one, and Moore was back on the market, as if he had never silently committed to the team.

From there, Moore would eventually choose the Oregon Ducks. Before National Signing Day, he ended up flipping his commitment to sign with head coach Chip Kelly and the UCLA Bruins. It was a turbulent recruiting, and Moore eventually ended up in Eugene after his freshman season, but it all started with him being silently committed to play for the Fighting Irish.

Altering the fortune of three programs

It isn’t often that these types of decisions end up working out for all sides, but it appears that is exactly what is happening. For Notre Dame, they are extremely happy that they selected Carr. He has morphed into one of the better quarterbacks in college football already, despite being just a redshirt freshman. For the first time in a very long time, the Irish fan base feels like they have a signal caller who can make the big throw when it matters most. The collective just hasn’t had nearly enough confidence in the man behind center since the turn of the century, but that has changed.

For the Oregon Ducks, Moore has been a revelation this season so far after taking over for the departed Dillon Gabriel. He is one of the early frontrunners for the Heisman Trophy and is considered a potential first-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft if he chooses to declare. Through five games, the 6-3, 210-pound pocket passer has thrown for 1,210 yards and 14 touchdowns. Moore has also thrown just one interception while completing over 74 percent of his passes. Whether the Ducks win a national championship this season will hinge on the strong right arm of Moore.

Like Carr, it is early in the tenure of Sayin as the starting quarterback in Columbus, but the early returns are extremely positive. Sayin has the pleasure of throwing to elite pass catchers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, and he is making the most of it so far. For a younger player, he has played with nice command and composure. The offense should only continue to open up as Sayin gains more and more experience. The future is certainly bright for Sayin with the Buckeyes.

With the Ducks and Buckeyes being two of the favorites to win a championship this season right now, their fortunes could have been directly gained by a signal decision that Notre Dame once made, and the ripple effect that came after. For the Fighting Irish, if they are able to catch fire and potentially make a run, they will need Carr to continue showing how much upside he holds. There is confidence that this team can still win a championship themselves over the next couple of seasons, and Carr is a big reason why.

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