Marcus Freeman stated that he ideally wanted to narrow Notre Dame’s quarterback competition from three to two before fall camp. That became a reality when news broke earlier this week that Steve Angeli planned on entering the transfer portal – a move he officially announced Saturday night. With Angeli looking for a new program, the race has become a battle of upside and talent over experience, with junior Kenny Minchey and sophomore CJ Carr, a duo with just three career pass attempts, set to battle it out this summer.
Minchey and Carr showed out at the Blue and Gold Game
Taking too much out of a Blue and Gold Game is never a good idea – the results are often very deceiving. Deshone Kizer looked like he didn’t belong at a power four program in 2015 before being thrust into the starting role and shining. Christian Olsen was the offensive MVP of the Blue and Gold Game in 2003 before transferring that summer and never even threw a collegiate touchdown pass in his career. So we should glean too much from Carr or Minchey’s performances, but both looked the part at least, and displayed the personal traits that they’re known for in the process.
Most casual observers had Carr down as the most impressive quarterback on the field in the BG Game, including Angeli. Carr completed 14 of 19 passes for 190 yards, including two touchdown passes. His stats didn’t stand out the most about Carr, though; his decisiveness was most impressive. Carr barely practiced as a true freshman last year due to his shoulder injury, but he hardly looked like a young quarterback without much experience. He looked the most in command of all the quarterbacks and made quick decisions. Now, they weren’t always the right decisions, as he did throw an interception in the game as well, but that is bound to happen with any young quarterback.
Carr had the most “it” factor of any quarterback on the field. He dropped two dimes to backup tight ends Kevin Bauman and Jack Laresen on his first drive alone. Both were the kind of throws we haven’t seen much from Notre Dame quarterbacks in recent years.
Kenny Minchey might not have had the same big-time throws as Carr, nor do his stats paint as golden a picture, but he did display his athleticism that has intrigued Notre Dame fans since his late-cycle commitment two years ago. Minchey only completed 6 of 14 pass attempts for 106 yards, but he ran for 23 yards on five attempts (removing 11 yards lost for a sack) and would have had much more if quarterbacks were allowed to be tackled instead of whistled dead on contact.
Minchey also did not receive the same pass protection that Carr saw for most of the afternoon, as Notre Dame’s offensive line was missing several starters, and the Irish staff looked to get a lot of young linemen reps throughout the scrimmage.
A Closer Look at Notre Dame’s QB Contenders
Carr and Minchey are certainly different players, but they aren’t so different that the offense will have to be drastically altered for whoever wins. Minchey is easily the more athletic, but Carr isn’t Jimmy Clausen in terms of athleticism either. He can also move around and make plays with his legs, and did just that in the Blue and Gold game. Conversely, Carr is the more polished passer, but Minchey can sling it in his own right.
The decision from Freeman, offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, and quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli could ultimately come down to what kind of style they want to play more. Notre Dame ran a lot of QB power with Riley Leonard last year while the offensive line solidified itself and Leonard got more familiar with his receivers. It seemed clear early on that they wanted to throw it more, but they realized they couldn’t because Leonard was struggling with accuracy early, before ultimately getting comfortable and taking Notre Dame on the run they had.
If Carr is the choice, Notre Dame will probably have fewer designed quarterback runs than they did with Leonard and will likely attempt to get more vertical. How much the wide receivers progress this summer could also impact that- most of Notre Dame’s top-line receivers were absent this spring, which could lead to the same timing issues Leonard experienced last year. In that scenario, a Minchey-led offense could resemble more closely what we saw from Notre Dame in 2024 offensively, with more reliance on the quarterback’s legs. Think back to how different the Texas A&M game plan was compared to what Notre Dame was running by the end of the season.
Notre Dame’s immediate, and possibly long-term, future hangs in the balance
We already know that the staff has prioritized the upside and raw talent of Carr and Minchey over experience. If the staff were deciding on who gave the Irish the best chance to beat Miami on August 31, they likely would take Angeli, given his experience and the poise he showed in the Orange Bowl. Freeman and his staff are making a decision on which quarterback gives them the best chance to reach the playoffs again and finish what they started in 2024.
Notre Dame starts the season with two of its most challenging games of the year in the first three weeks – a road trip to Miami and a home game against Texas A&M. At a minimum, Notre Dame has to split those games to feel good about their chances to reach the playoffs again. Who gives Notre Dame the best long-term future doesn’t necessarily have to be the same quarterback who gives Notre Dame the best chance to win those two games, or at least one of them. That’s what the staff will have to weigh in on when deciding.
For instance, maybe the staff thinks Carr has the highest ceiling long-term, but Minchey’s running ability gives them the best chance in those first two games. How they’d proceed in such a scenario would have both short-term and long-term ramifications.
One thing is sure: Freeman is not afraid to start inexperienced players on the road in big spots. Freeman, Denbrock, and Joe Randolph started Anthonie Knapp at left tackle on the road against Texas A&M. Knapp looked across the line of scrimmage at Nic Scourton, a DE who will likely be at worst a 2nd-round pick later this week, all night long.
Anticipation will build until a starter is named
Many within the fanbase have already anointed Carr as the starter, but this is still very much a competition. Minchey’s running ability shouldn’t be overlooked, as quarterback runs are a staple of Mike Denbrock’s offenses. Notre Dame probably ran more of them than anyone wanted to in 2024 out of necessity, but Denbrock’s most successful offenses heavily utilized the threat of the quarterback’s legs.
In recent quarterback “competitions”, a starter has been named very early in camp. However, most recent competitions have been competition in name only. No one thought Steve Angeli would start over Riley Leonard in 2024 or Sam Hartman in 2023. No one thought Drew Pyne would start over Tyler Buchner in 2022. And no one thought Tyler Buchner would start over Jack Coan in 2021. Freeman and staff can’t let the competition linger too long into fall camp either. Whoever is QB1 for the Miami game will need every rep they can get before that August 31 showdown.
I think this comes down to 3 things. 1) which quarterback can make more plays off platform when the plays break down 2) which quarterback limits the mistakes , sacks, interceptions, fumbles, etc 3) which quarterback is more consistently accurate on all throws, throwing receivers open , ball placement, hitting receivers in stride, throwing into tight windows, etc. Who do I think that will be? CJ Carr.