Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman has named freshman CJ Carr the starting quarterback for the team’s season opener against No. 10 Miami, a decision he described as trusting his “gut” after a tight competition with Kenny Minchey.
“Statistically, it was as close to any quarterback competition I’ve ever been a part of,” Freeman said Tuesday. “I was looking for that to be the reason to make a decision, and it wasn’t clear.”
Carr, the grandson of former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, will make his first career start. He appeared in only one game last season without recording any statistics after an elbow injury in practice limited his availability. A highly-touted prospect from Saline, Michigan, Carr was ranked by ESPN as the No. 2 pocket passer and No. 36 overall recruit in the 2024 class.
The quarterback battle began in the spring with Carr, Minchey, and Steve Angeli. Angeli, the primary backup for the past two seasons, has since transferred and won the starting job at Syracuse. Minchey, a third-year player, has seen action in just four games for the Fighting Irish.
Freeman praised Carr’s football intelligence, work ethic, and high level of confidence. He stressed that in a difficult road environment at Miami, the freshman’s decision-making will be crucial, supported by the team’s strong run game and defense.
“Every play, it can’t be a bomb,” Freeman said. “Trust the game plan, trust what you see, be who you are and win this play. Be the best version of CJ Carr, make those guys around you better.”
Freeman also commended Minchey, stating he is “good enough to be the starting quarterback at Notre Dame” and has shown great maturity since the decision was made.
“I didn’t expect him to be happy with my decision, but I did expect, after a day or so, to see the maturity of Kenny Minchey, in terms of being able to go back to work,” Freeman said.
In other team news, defensive end Jordan Botelho will be available for the Miami game. Botelho, a starter in 2023, missed most of last season with a knee injury and suffered a torn pectoral muscle during training in June.
Source link
