Big Questions Loom for Notre Dame and Miami Ahead of Season-Opening Clash

Notre Dame has a big decision to make

Notre Dame football finds itself in an interesting position this fall camp. The program is trending upward on and off the field, recruiting has taken an uptick, administrative buy-in is clear, and the roster is the deepest and most athletic it's been in the last 30 years. As a result of these positives, the Irish start the season at No. 5 in the coaches' poll.

Despite all of these positives, there are still some major items that need to be worked out and settled for Notre Dame to succeed in 2025, especially early in the season, where a tough schedule awaits the boys in gold and blue.

The biggest question surrounding the Irish relates to the quarterback competition between CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey, who, up to this point, have both had some good moments and some forgettable ones in fall camp. Quarterback is the most important individual position in organized team sports, and Irish fans are on edge to see which way this battle goes. Whoever wins the job will be expected to perform well right away against Miami with little margin of error to be had for the Irish to collect a tough road win to open the season.

The other huge question for Notre Dame is how the defense will perform under new defensive coordinator Chris Ash. There is significant belief in the talent on the defensive side of the ball. This is more of a question of whether Notre Dame can quickly acclimate to Ash's way of doing things well enough to knock off Miami and Texas A&M early in the year.

While Irish nation ponders how these dynamics may play out, it isn't alone. Miami fans also have a lot to think about and worry about entering 2025.

1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ days until we kick off the season back in Miami #GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/lSVGkfWXQG
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) May 23, 2025

Miami's moving parts

While Irish fans have their minds primarily on the quarterback competition, Miami also has a lot to navigate before squaring off with Notre Dame. While Miami knows its starting quarterback will be Georgia transfer Carson Beck, nobody knows how he will perform in week one after recovering from arm surgery. Complicating Miami's offensive dynamic is the fact that the Hurricanes also must replace all of their top six receiving targets from 2024. This is a huge undertaking.

On the defensive side of the ball, Miami, just like Notre Dame, had a change at defensive coordinator and is adjusting to former Minnesota DC Corey Hetherman's new way of doing things while integrating many new faces into the starting lineup, especially in the secondary.

This epic week one battle will test which program is best prepared and has adjusted the best to their new personnel and coaches. Each of these teams has talent, each has brand-name prestige, and each desperately wants this week one win.

Something must give.