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Former Michigan Coach’s Grandson Wins Notre Dame Starting QB Job

Ryan Phillips

Freshman quarterback CJ Carr won Notre Dame's starting quarterback job.
Freshman quarterback CJ Carr won Notre Dame's starting quarterback job. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Notre Dame has finally made a decision at quarterback.

Redshirt freshman CJ Carr has won the job, edging out sophomore Kenny Minchey after a close battle throughout fall camp.

Carr was a four-star recruit and a top-100 prospect in the 2024 recruiting class. He was ranked as the No. 6 quarterback in his class by 247Sports.

On Monday, the competition between Carr and Minchey was declared "too close to call" as the Irish waited as long as possible to finally make a decision. Each of Notre Dame's last two quarterbacks were transfers, as Sam Hartman took over in 2023 and Riley Leonard replaced him in 2024.

Minchey and Carr had been inconsistent throughout fall camp, with neither standing out enough to grab the job from the other.

Carr is the grandson of former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr, who led the Wolverines from 1995 through 2007. The College Football Hall of Famer won five Big Ten championships and split a national title with Nebraska in 1997.

The Irish open the season at No. 10 Miami on August 30.

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Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.

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