Notre Dame Names CJ Carr Starting QB After Lengthy Battle

The quarterback competition that at times felt like it was never going to end at Notre Dame, has ended.

That is, of course, unless it hasn't.

Head coach Marcus Freeman said on Sunday that he would be the one to ultimately choose who Notre Dame's starting quarterback would be. On Tuesday, that announcement was made as redshirt freshman CJ Carr has won the job.

Our starting QB#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/vFi9pxeMeg
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) August 19, 2025

CJ Carr: Notre Dame's 2025 Starting Quarterback

CJ Carr takes over as Notre Dame's starting quarterback after beating out Kenny Minchey in a hard-fought battle this training camp. The focus now shifts from who Notre Dame's quarterback will be, to doing whatever it takes to beat Miami on August 31.

But what exactly is Notre Dame getting in starting quarterback CJ Carr?

Carr saw action in just one game last season, as he came in to run the clock out in the 66-7 drubbing of Purdue. He was, however, dealing with an elbow injury that sidelined him for the majority of the season.

Carr comes from strong football bloodlines, being the grandson of former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr, and is the son of former Wolverines quarterback Jason, who played from 1992 to 1995.

Although experience at the collegiate level lacks, Carr comes with an impressive resume as a high school quarterback at Saline High School in Michigan.

247Sports rated Carr as the nation's 45th-best overall player in the 2024 recruiting cycle, and sixth-best quarterback. Beyond the four-star rating, Carr held offers from the likes of Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Penn State, and several others, speaking to the caliber of player he is.

Carr will look to continue Notre Dame's long history of developing star talent from the state of Michigan, as he grew up less than three hours from South Bend.

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Takeaway:

It felt at times that this quarterback battle was never going to end, but on Tuesday, it officially did.

I mentioned above, "unless it didn't," which I mean. Carr won the job for now, but the way Notre Dame's schedule sets up, he'll need to produce quickly. A road test at Miami and then a home opener against Texas A&M are tough asks for a first-time starter, and it makes you wonder how long the leash is going to be after Minchey clearly put up quite a battle.

It's hard to simulate a game feel in practice with any regularity, but the biggest hope is that the competition between Carr and Minchey did just that.

And as a result, perhaps those Miami lights won't shine quite as bright to the young quarterback in 12 days.