CJ Carr's Heisman Stock Increases for Second Straight Week

Maybe we should have seen CJ Carr's big day coming against North Carolina. Yet again, he was going up against a Bill Belichick defense that had allowed just 41 points through three games. So, who really knew who had the upper hand, Carr or the UNC defense?

But nearly two hours before kickoff, former NFL punter/On-Air Personality Pat McAfee challenged Carr to hit the crossbar on his first try. And guess what? Carr delivered.

And now McAfee has to donate $250,000 to a charity of Carr's choice.

CJ CARR DRILLS THE CROSSBAR 🎯@PatMcAfeeShow will donate $250,000 to a charity of CJ’s choosing 👏 pic.twitter.com/zKQ5FKQ2lY
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) October 3, 2026

Hitting the cross bar is no easy task, and maybe that throw alone should have been a been a sign to all that Carr was bound for a big afternoon against the Tar Heels.

Carr completed 21 of his 29 pass attempts for 234 yards and four touchdowns, and ran for one more.

Notre Dame QB CJ Carr | Week 5 vs North Carolina:

☘️ 21/29
☘️ 234 Passing Yards
☘️ 5 Total Touchdowns
☘️ 0 Interceptions@NDFootball pic.twitter.com/QjD22DpuHs
— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 3, 2026

And without Carr's big day, Notre Dame probably wouldn't be 5-0. But from an individual standpoint, Carr's career day increased his Heisman odds big time.

Where does Carr now stand in the Heisman race?

Last week, Carr had the fifth best Heisman odds at 12/1 (+1200) but now he's got the third best odds at +750, per FanDuel.

The only two players with better odds than Carr are Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (+110) and Miami (FL) quarterback Darian Mensah (+550).

And with a ton of football left to be played, expect Carr to inch closer and closer towards the top each week.

Carr's stats through five games

There have been handful of super efficient quarterbacks this college season, but no one has arguably been more efficient that Carr.

Through five games, Carr has 16 touchdown passes, completed 71% of his passes, thrown for over 1,200 yards (1,225) and has three rushing touchdowns.

And maybe most important, he only has one interception.

CJ Carr through five games

- 88/124 (71%)
- 1,225 total yards
- 16 Touchdowns
- 1 Interception pic.twitter.com/8sKLo4CvzM
— Biased Notre Dame Fan (@CFBGuy999) October 3, 2026

Carr doesn't lead college football in any of those stats, but he's top 10 in all of them. But what Carr continues to do better than any quarterback in college is protect the ball.

What does Carr need to do to continue to move up in the Heisman race?

First and foremost, protect the ball. Secondly, continue to hit the open man and complete passes at 70% clip. If Carr does that, the yards and touchdowns will take care of themselves.

But Carr's best chance to jump Mensah and Smith is by balling out against BYU, Miami, and SMU. All three teams are ranked, and if BYU and Miami (FL) are still undefeated, both teams could be ranked in the top five.

If Notre Dame beats all three of those teams and Carr performs at a high level, Carr will have a great shot at winning the Heisman.

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