Notre Dame QB Shake-Up: Steve Angeli’s Transfer and Its Implications

Marcus Freeman stated it would be ideal if the Notre Dame quarterback race was down to two contenders by fall camp. On Thursday, we found out who those two would be after news broke that senior-to-be Steve Angeli intends to enter the transfer portal, leaving junior Kenny Minchey and sophomore CJ Carr to duke it out for the starting job at Notre Dame. We’ll have plenty on the implications of Angeli’s transfer on the quarterback race, but for now we’ll look back at Angeli’s time at Notre Dame and the lasting legacy he leaves behind despite only ever starting one career game.

Angeli came to Notre Dame under the previous coaching staff after then offensive coordinator Tommy Rees zeroed in on Angeli as his top target. Other, more highly ranked, quarterbacks had interest in Notre Dame, but Rees and the Irish focused on Angeli and ultimately got him to leave New Jersey for South Bend. That decision by Rees ended up being one of the most controversial of his time leading the Irish offense.

Angeli’s Career Statistics & Notable Moments

• Career Totals: Completed 72.5% of his passes (58 of 80) for 772 yards, 10 touchdowns, and one interception.
• 2022 Blue-Gold Game: Led the Gold Team to a thrilling 13-10 victory in the annual spring game with a game-winning 10-yard scramble as time expired.
• 2023 Sun Bowl: In his first collegiate start, completed 15 of 19 passes for 232 yards and 3 touchdowns, leading Notre Dame to a 40-8 win over Oregon State.
• 2024 Blue-Gold Game: Completed 17 of 25 passes for 228 yards and 2 touchdowns, leading the Blue Team to a 28-21 victory.
• 2025 Orange Bowl: Stepped in for an injured Riley Leonard, completing 6 of 7 passes for 44 yards, setting up a field goal before halftime in a 27-24 victory over Penn State.

Orange Angeli’s Notre Dame Lasting Legacy

While Steve Angeli leaves Notre Dame having never been a full-time starter, his legacy will last longer than some who were, thanks to his Orange Bowl heroics. With the Irish scuffling and Riley Leonard momentarily sidelined, Angeli led Notre Dame to their first points of the game right before halftime by completing 6 of 7 passes and giving the Irish a spark.

Leonard passed concussion protocol and was back in the game to start the second half, but who knows what happens with Angeli leading Notre Dame to those critical three points right before the end of the half.

Despite living forever in Notre Dame lore, Angeli’s departure before ever becoming a full-time starter at Notre Dame in some ways validates the criticism hurled at Rees when he shrank his quarterback board to one when he decided that Angeli was his guy.

Notre Dame quarterback race down to two

All three Notre Dame quarterbacks had their moments in the Blue and Gold game over the weekend, but with Angeli set to enter the portal, the competition is down to Kenny Minchey and CJ Carr heading into fall camp. Carr and Minchey both have far less experience than Angeli, but at the same time, both have noticeably more upside as well. Carr has prototypical quarterback size with above-average mobility. Minchey has elite athleticism who can make plays with his legs most quarterbacks can’t. It seems clear that the staff prioritized that upside versus the experience Angeli brought into the competition from the past two seasons and more specifically the Orange Bowl.

Angeli Transfer Always Felt Like an Inevitable

It feels like Angeli’s transfer has felt inevitable for over a year at this point. Ever since Notre Dame decided to pursue Leonard in the portal last year, the writing felt like it was on the wall for Angeli. Had Notre Dame felt like Angeli was the game changer they needed at the position, they likely would have never brought in Leonard and would have hitched their wagon to Angeli heading into what was his true junior season. They didn’t do that, though.

To Angeli’s credit, he stayed at Notre Dame despite those signals from the staff through spring ball. Had he not stayed, we’ll never know if the Irish would have rallied in the Orange Bowl like they did. In today’s college football, it’s extremely rare for someone in Angeli’s position to stay in one place as long as he did.

Steve Angeli will be a starter somewhere in 2025

Transferring after spring ball isn’t ideal for a quarterback looking to start in the fall, but it would be surprising if Angeli were not a starter in 2025. He’ll leave Notre Dame with his degree and with two years of eligibility under his belt. He might not end up at a place like Tennessee, which is searching for a starting quarterback, but there are a lot of good programs around the country where Angeli would be an upgrade to their current starting quarterback.

Angeli would be wise to focus on a program with a good offensive line. The one big knock on him in his limited body of work at Notre Dame was his struggles under pressure. Unlike Carr and Minchey, he doesn’t have great mobility, either – both of which likely played a role in Minchey and Carr edging him out in the first round of the quarterback competition of 2025.

Steve Angeli’s decision to transfer from Notre Dame marks the end of a career that, despite limited playing time, left a lasting impression on the Fighting Irish program. His memorable performances—including leading a decisive Sun Bowl victory and sparking a crucial momentum shift in the Orange Bowl—cement his legacy. Angeli now seeks a fresh start elsewhere, ideally at a program that can maximize his strengths, particularly his accurate passing behind a solid offensive line. While his exit was somewhat predictable, Angeli’s resilience, character, and clutch moments will long be remembered by Irish fans.