One School That Makes Sense for Notre Dame QB Kenny Minchey

A Power Four university not far from South Bend would make a lot of sense for Kenny Minchey to check out

Sep 27, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Kenny Minchey (8) loosens up during the fourth quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Notre Dame won 56-13. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Notre Dame had a well-documented quarterback battle leading into this past season as CJ Carr beat out Kenny Minchey just weeks before the opener at Miami.

Carr took the job and ran with it, as he'll enter the 2026 season as a serious contender for the Heisman Trophy. Meanwhile, reports are that Minchey will enter the transfer portal when it officially opens on Friday.

Where Minchey ends up remains to be seen, as some rumors have connected him to the ACC while others see him as a potential fit to return home to SEC country and play there. However, there's a program emerging down the street from Notre Dame that I'd be taking a look at if I was Minchey.

Northwestern's Fascinating Last Few Days

Since NIL came into play, Northwestern football has turned into almost an afterthought. Since 2021, Northwestern has managed just a 23-39 overall record after finishing 2020 as the nation's 10th-ranked team in the AP Poll.

However, things appear to be changing in a big way in Evanston. Following David Braun's third season, which just concluded with a blowout victory over Central Michigan in the GameAbove Sports Bowl, has been making splash moves in recent days - enough in fact that I'd be interested in seeing it as a potential landing spot for Minchey.

Welcome to Northwestern, Chip Kelly!

A veteran offensive mind with 35 years of NFL and college experience joins David Braun’s staff as Offensive Coordinator. pic.twitter.com/RR71XKEXGZ

— Northwestern Football (@NUFBFamily) December 30, 2025

On Tuesday, Northwestern made quite the splash by hiring offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. Kelly called plays on Ohio State's national championship team last year before moving back to the NFL where things didn't work out with the Las Vegas Raiders this season.

He does, however, have an incredible past and is seen as one of the most influential offensive minds in recent college football history. He's also a guy who isn't huge on the recruiting part of the game, but it's tough to imagine he took the job without getting some reassurances regarding NIL from the athletic department.

Source: Northwestern is set to hire Jerry Neuheisel as quarterbacks coach. Neuheisel is a former Chip Kelly assistant at UCLA, who remained with the Bruins under DeShaun Foster and became the team's offensive play-caller after Tino Sunseri stepped away this fall. pic.twitter.com/eGRuET4lG1

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) January 1, 2026

After Kelly's hire was made official, it was reported that Jerry Neuheisel from UCLA is taking the quarterbacks coach position under Kelly. Neuheisel is the son of former Colorado, Washington, and UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel, and was the talk of college football after the Bruins upset Penn State this past regular season.

For the normally quiet Northwestern football program, both moves bring attention not usually common. With a remade, modern Ryan Field (I personally miss the old place) set to open this fall, it would appear Northwestern is taking a significant effort to aid its football program in winning more games regularly.

Kenny Minchey as a Player

In a world where CJ Carr isn't at Notre Dame, Kenny Minchey would be a better-than-average starter. He seemingly took Carr to the limit this past summer and will almost certainly be the unequivocal starter wherever he ends next.

As you see in the highlights above, Minchey has a bit more athleticism than Carr, but isn't as strong of thrower. He certainly fits the mold of quarterbacks that have thrived under Kelly, with Jeremiah Masoli, and Darron Thomas coming to mind at Oregon.

If I'm Kenny Minchey or associated with his camp whatsoever, Northwestern might not have seemed like a possible landing spot just a few days ago. Still, I'd suddenly be extremely interested in potentially taking my talents to Evanston the next few years.

Add in Northwestern being one of the few places that can rival the academics Notre Dame offers, and it's another positive for Minchey. Plus, for Notre Dame, it'd be nice to see Minchey end up at a program that isn't on an upcoming Fighting Irish schedule in the next few years.