Notre Dame football left Chapel Hill with a 37-26 win over Bill Belichick and North Carolina, moving Marcus Freeman’s squad to 5-0. The Fighting Irish continues to sit at No. 3 in the latest AP poll. The win exposed clear areas for improvement on offense, on defense, and even on special teams.

One familiar bright spot was star quarterback CJ Carr. He completed 21-of-29 passes for 234 yards and four touchdown passes. That marks the second game this season in which Carr has thrown four touchdown passes.

The 6-2, 215-pound passer entered his redshirt sophomore year with high expectations. Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock is clearly leaning into his talents. Carr is also generating some early 2027 NFL Draft buzz, and he could face a tough decision after this season.

If he declares, Notre Dame will face a difficult call. The staff will have to decide whether it trusts its in-house options or turns to the transfer portal. That second route includes a familiar face who could become the ultimate redemption story for the Fighting Irish.

CJ Carr’s 2026 season by the numbers

Through five games, Carr has completed 88-of-124 passes (71%) for 1,197 yards and 13 touchdowns. He has thrown only one interception. He is also averaging 9.7 yards per attempt and owns a 185 quarterback rating. Each of those numbers is up from last season.

Notre Dame’s in-house quarterback options

Notre Dame has three scholarship quarterbacks returning next season. That group includes true freshmen Noah Grubbs and Teddy Jarrard, as well as redshirt freshman Blake Hebert.

Freeman and Co. have been open about the race for the No. 2 job, both before the season and now. The staff is constantly evaluating the room. At this point, the backup appears to be Grubbs, a 6-4, 210-pound true freshman from Lake Mary, Florida.

Many on the Irish staff are also extremely high on Jarrard, and plenty believe he could be the future of the position. However, Jarrard reclassified from the 2027 recruiting class to the 2026 class. That raises major questions about whether he will be ready to take over if Carr declares for the 2027 NFL Draft.

The Irish could also love 2027 quarterback commit Champ Monds enough to consider him. He is coming off an injury, though, and there is a very strong chance he will not be ready to play as a true freshman.

Could Notre Dame go back to the transfer portal? It’s always possible. The remaining weeks of the season will be essential for figuring out where this offensive staff believes Grubbs and Jarrard stand in terms of contributing next season.

A familiar name in the transfer portal conversation

If Notre Dame does eye the portal, several talented players could be weighing their options this offseason. There’s no telling whether one of them will be Kentucky’s starting quarterback and former Notre Dame signal caller Kenny Minchey.

Minchey just led the Wildcats to an overtime win over South Carolina last weekend. Kentucky is 4-1 and ranked in the top 25. He has been a tremendous performer for first-year head coach Will Stein.

In five games, Minchey has completed 97-of-142 passes for 1,148 yards and 11 touchdowns. He is completing over 68% of his passes and has thrown a single interception. The 6-2, 211-pound quarterback also has one season of eligibility remaining after the 2026 college football season. His growth has been fun to watch.

By all accounts, Minchey and the Notre Dame staff parted on good terms. Minchey did everything he promised. Once the staff decided to go with Carr for the foreseeable future, the Tennessee native chose a fresh start and a chance to play. So far, he has passed every test with flying colors.

Notre Dame liked Minchey so much in the 2023 recruiting class because of his arm talent, smooth decision-making, and good overall athleticism. If the Irish aren’t comfortable with their in-house options, would they push for a reunion? And would Minchey even be open to one?

That very much remains to be seen, and is nothing more than reckless speculation right now.

Notre Dame always knew Minchey was a talented player. With the Carr situation the way it was, though, a young and gifted quarterback simply found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Perhaps the right time could be on the horizon.

What Notre Dame does at quarterback after Carr remains uncertain. Don’t think for a second, however, that watching Minchey play this season hasn’t piqued some interest in South Bend.