Notre Dame Names Sophomore CJ Carr Team’s Starting Quarterback

Notre Dame has anointed sophomore quarterback CJ Carr to lead the Fighting Irish offense to open the season at No. 10 Miami, announcing on social media that he's the team's starting signal-caller.

Carr beat out junior Kenny Minchey, who performed so well that he forced the coaching staff to extend the competition nearly three weeks into fall camp.

Ultimately, the coaching staff felt either quarterback could lead them to victory and selected Carr following Sunday's scrimmage inside Notre Dame Stadium and Monday's game-day dress rehearsal.

"They're both good enough to help us win football games," Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock said on Sunday. "That's why it's such a close competition. I guess I would add to that that both of those young men have tremendous love and respect within the framework of our locker room. We're not as freaked out about the fact that somebody hasn't been named the starting quarterback as a lot of people seem to be, but it's because we know both individuals involved.

"We know how their teammates feel about them, care about them, trust them, and they both played really well. So, we're gonna figure this thing out and get the information out there when Coach Freeman decides it's time to make it out."

Coming out of high school, Carr ranked as the nation's No. 45 overall prospect and No. 6 quarterback in the class of 2024. That made him the program's highest-rated quarterback signee since Brandon Wimbush in 2015.

Even though he's yet to attempt a pass in a college game, Carr has only become a more impressive prospect since arriving at Notre Dame.

Last fall, Carr suffered an elbow injury that kept him out of practice for several weeks. Rather than wallow, he rehabbed the injury while working to "bulletproof" the rest of his right arm. In particular, he went through several exercises to strengthen his shoulder.

The results were just short of miraculous.

"It's been a surprise blessing," Carr said. "You come off injury, you're pissed, you're hurt, but you come back, you can throw it 10 yards further than you did before."

Carr impressed throughout 2025 spring ball, especially in the 94th annual Blue-Gold Game, where he completed 14 of 19 pass attempts (74%) for 170 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

He performed well by relying on talent, instincts and guts, epitomizing the traits coach Marcus Freeman has long admired in Carr.

"I truly believe he has such a high ceiling in terms of where he'll be as a football player," Freeman said during the early signing period for the class of 2024. "He's so competitive. That's the thing about CJ, he's smart, athletic, he's talented, but he's competitive. And those are things that are hard to measure."

Shortly, after the Blue-Gold Game, rising senior quarterback Steve Angeli transferred to Syracuse (where he was recently named the starter over Rickie Collins), narrowing the battle to two prospects.

At the time, it seemed Carr would inevitably lock down the job, but the cool and collected Minchey refused to cede the competition without a long, drawn-out fight.

Carr threw a trio of picks in the first practice of fall camp and seemed jittery on occasion. Two weeks later, reports indicated that Minchey had moved ahead, but clearly Carr hadn't lost too much ground because, on Tuesday, the team's social media account shared the graphic embedded above, announcing Carr as QB1.

Now, the Irish can hold practices without its quarterbacks sharing first team reps and focus singularly on preparing for Miami on Aug. 31, tailoring the offense to Carr's abilities.

"I think it's going to be important that whoever wins the job we play to the strengths of who they are and not put them in compromising situations, especially too early in the season," Denbrock said. "You know what I mean? But I don't think it'll change a bunch. But there are some subtle strengths and weaknesses and differences that you have to be aware of when you're making a plan and obviously highlight the strengths and try to diminish as many of the weaknesses as you can."

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