Notre Dame Quarterback Competition: Is Perception Reality for the Irish in 2025?

Notre Dame Quarterback Battle: CJ Carr, born a star

CJ Carr's recruitment to Notre Dame was a big deal.

Everyone was well aware of his last name and what that meant. Carr was born into Michigan Football royalty due to his grandfather's time as head coach of the Wolverines. As a result, Carr was raised in a "football" family and all that comes with that.

On his own accord and credit, Carr turned himself into one of the most sought-after signal callers of his recruiting class, and Irish nation was thrilled to land his commitment, both based on his skill level and potential, but also quite frankly, to stick it to Michigan.

As a result of this, Carr was the crown jewel of the Notre Dame class of 2024 recruiting class.

Random thought:

I wonder what the fanbase sentiment around the QB competition would be if Will Pauling and KK Smith caught these catchable passes by Kenny Minchey last Saturday.

The Will Pauling play (the KK Smith one in the tweet below):

pic.twitter.com/uRW6PMc6IY
— Notre Dame Recruiting (@NDrecruiting01) April 18, 2025

Notre Dame Quarterback Battle: Kenny Minchey, last-minute addition

While CJ Carr's journey to South Bend was very straightforward with a foundation and build-up of momentum, name recognition, and fanfare, Kenny Minchey's journey was quite the opposite.

Minchey had committed to Pat Narduzzi at Pitt and was flipped by Notre Dame after the Irish didn't land five-star Dante Moore.

Think about the dynamic being created here.

While Carr got the red carpet rollout into Irish land, Minchey was viewed by many as a "second-tier" fallback option after Moore didn't pick Notre Dame, which shortchanges him for his skillset and potential he has as a player and person.

Why this matters

When it comes to Notre Dame's quarterback competition, it felt like CJ was the man to beat. He simply has had more buzz surrounding him from the beginning of his relationship with Notre Dame than Minchey has, due to their recruiting dynamics. But just keep the offense moving, don't make mistakes, and win games.

Perception might matter, but reality and points on the board will be what counts.

It doesn't matter who wins the job - there will be suffocating pressure to produce. However, there's more pressure placed on Carr in this dynamic to win the starting role and be great, and that matters as well.

Each of these players comes to the table with different demeanors, leadership styles, and backstories.

It will be fascinating to see how this quarterback dynamic plays out in the end, and the good news is that I think both of the options can and will help Notre Dame win big games in 2025.

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