CJ Carr admitted that the grind of Notre Dame’s quarterback competition tested him in ways he had never experienced before. The sophomore said a crisis of confidence and the weight of every throw nearly cost him the chance to become the Fighting Irish’s starting quarterback.
Carr entered training camp as the presumed favorite to win the job. The grandson of former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr and a top-50 recruit in the 2024 class, the Irish chose not to add a transfer quarterback this offseason, signaling the program’s belief in his future. Yet he still felt uncertain about whether his play was enough to beat out Kenny Minchey.
“I was confident that I played my butt off throughout camp and that I gave myself a really good shot to be named. I was confident in that,” Carr said. “At that point, you couldn’t do anything else about it.”
Two days later, head coach Marcus Freeman made a “gut decision,” choosing Carr as QB1, ahead of the season opener against Miami. The move ended a battle that insiders said was closer than expected and, at times, seemed to tilt in Minchey’s favor.
Carr admitted the decision lifted a burden that had been weighing on him throughout August.
“There’s been a weight lifted off in all the aspects,” he said. “You come here and there’s direction on who’s the voice of the offense. You’re not worried about mistakes. When a mistake comes, it’s honestly like, ‘OK, this is a place in my game I can get better. This is a place in the game plan we can improve on.’ And it’s less of, ‘Shit, maybe I’m not going to be the guy anymore because of this.’ It for sure was a release.”
Also read: Joel Klatt’s bold call on CJ Carr and Notre Dame vs Texas A&M clash
How confidence and poise helped CJ Carr earn QB1 spot?
Freeman pointed to Carr’s confidence as a critical factor.
“At some point, you can get a little overconfident, but you want that in your quarterback,” Freeman said. “Every play can’t be a touchdown, every play can’t be a bomb. Trust the game plan, trust what you see, be who you are and win this play.”
Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock echoed that belief and said Notre Dame will make small adjustments to ease Carr into his role. Protections can be set by formation instead of requiring Carr to do it on every snap. Still, Denbrock emphasized the offense belongs to him.
“I think it’s a little bit of a mentality of: I’m going to get the first down, which means I’m not going to necessarily take a lot of chances with deep balls every time I get an opportunity to throw one,” Denbrock said. “It’s I think easier, in my opinion, to say ‘whoa’ than it is ‘giddy up’ with a quarterback. And I don’t have that problem with him for sure.”
Minchey, a four-star prospect from the 2023 class, has appeared in four games across two seasons with only three pass attempts. While he pushed Carr harder than many expected, Carr’s performance in Notre Dame’s final scrimmage convinced the staff he was the right choice.
Now, with the competition behind him, Carr carries both the confidence and responsibility that come with leading one of college football’s most scrutinized offenses.
More: Mike Elko’s eye-opening take as Notre Dame’s CJ Carr faces Aggies