Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has chosen sophomore CJ Carr as the starting quarterback for Week 1 against Miami. Carr edged out junior Kenny Minchey in a tight competition, despite some concerns about his ability to protect the football.
Carr was initially seen as the top prospect when he first committed to Notre Dame in 2022, and his leadership skills have been praised by Freeman. However, he struggled with turnovers during preseason camp, throwing three interceptions to one thrown by Minchey.
Freeman acknowledged that both quarterbacks have strengths, including their ability to recover from mistakes and improve through coaching. He stressed the importance of decision-making, which is a key aspect of quarterback play.
Notre Dame has a strong offense, led by an experienced line and an upgraded receiving corps. While Minchey offers more rushing threat than Carr, Freeman sees him as a capable dual-threat athlete who can help coordinate Mike Denbrock’s offense.
The decision may not have been based solely on practice statistics, but rather on Freeman’s assessment of Carr’s ability to make the right decisions and protect the ball. With Carr now at the helm, the Irish will look to take advantage of their potent offense against Miami in Week 1.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6558676/2025/08/19/cj-carr-notre-dame-starting-quarterback