CJ Carr's Legendary Scrimmage Showing During Notre Dame Spring Practice

Did Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr cement himself with the legendary signal callers in Fighting Irish football history over the weekend?

John Huarte had an improbable 1964 in which he won the Heisman Trophy.

Joe Montana was the coolest of cool, guided Notre Dame to the 1977 national championship, and led the legendary comeback to beat Houston in the Cotton Bowl.

Brady Quinn had plenty of moments in the sun, and twice was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.

And perhaps none of those Notre Dame greats can hold a candle to what Carr pulled off on Saturday.

CJ Carr's Epic Showing in Notre Dame Jersey Scrimmage

Carr was very good as a first-time starter in 2025, leading Notre Dame on a 10-game winning streak to close the year. In all, he threw for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns, and just six interceptions.

Notre Dame held its Jersey Scrimmage over the weekend, and by those who saw Carr perfrom, it seemed to be more than even his redshirt-freshman campaign.

Don't take my word for it, instead take someone who actually saw it (and who has seen plenty of Notre Dame quarterbacks over the years), Pete Sampson of The Athletic.

CJ Carr stole the show during Notre Dame's jersey scrimmage over the weekend.@PeteSampson_ explains what made Carr's performance so impressive. #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/f6jzYHh4BA
— Locked On Irish (@LockedOnIrish) April 20, 2026

If you weren't already excited to watch a second year with CJ Carr as Notre Dame's starting quarterback, then the descriptions of how he performed Saturday should help you get there.

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Takeaway

I say the above tongue in cheek about Carr's showing on Saturday, but it underlines the importance of what Notre Dame has lacked for years.

Not since Ian Book from 2018 to 2020, has Notre Dame had a quarterback start for consecutive seasons.

As good as Book was in college, he wasn't anywhere near what Carr is as an NFL draft prospect, and his ceiling was always going to be limited.

Carr brings top overall pick potential back for a second season of starting, but gets to do it with other important returnees.

It's Carr's third year working with offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, who has called plays for some fantastic offenses over the years.

Notre Dame returns the majority of its offensive line, although some bodies are switching positions. Leading receivers are back, and the talent pool at wide receiver is as deep as its been in more than 15 years for the Fighting Irish.

As much gold as Notre Dame struck in the transfer portal in riding Riley Leonard to a national championship game appearance, Carr is the example of why you want a homegrown talent at quarterback.

The sky is the limit for this team in 2026, and the offense is a major reason.

Although Carr's talents may be even more special than most - Noah Grubbs, Teddy Jarrard, or whoever ends up being the next quarterback at Notre Dame are watching and planning on following the same blueprint so this becomes the norm for Notre Dame's offense and specifically its quarterbacks for years to come.

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