Marcus Freeman Delivers Clear Verdict on CJ Carr, Kenny Minchey Amid QB1 Battle originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Notre Dame faces some uncertainty at quarterback entering the 2025 college football season.
The Irish found success behind the arm and legs of quarterback Riley Leonard last season. The dual-threat passer led Notre Dame to a 14-2 season with a College Football Playoff run that fell short in the national championship loss to Ohio State.
Leonard departed for the NFL in the offseason, leaving graduate Steve Angeli as the expected starter in 2025. That’s no longer the case, though, after Angeli chose to transfer to Syracuse.
Redshirt sophomore Kenny Minchey and redshirt freshman CJ Carr competed with Angeli during spring practice, and that competition will continue to the summer as head coach Marcus Freeman and his staff evaluate their limited options.
“We have two guys that were really battling with Steve in the spring with CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey, and both did some really good things, right,” Freeman said on “Always College Football” with ESPN’s Greg McElroy. “Both, as you evaluate the quarterback position, have an extremely high ceiling. They both do things really, really well, and they do them differently.”
Minchey (6-foot-2, 206 pounds) signed with the Irish as the No. 14 quarterback in the class of 2023 out of Hendersonville, Tennessee. He has four total appearances to his name over two seasons.
Carr has even less experience after redshirting his true freshman season in 2024. The 6-foot-3, 209-pound passer signed with the Irish as the No. 6 player at the position when coming out of Saline, Michigan, in the 2024 class.
“Our job is to say who’s going to give us the best chance to win as we get ready to face an opponent,” Freeman said. “And those questions will be answered by the quarterbacks during fall camp. And that I love, because I love competition right now.”
The limited experience between Minchey and Carr raises concerns. How would they react to pressure situations that will inevitably come on Fall Saturdays?
Freeman and Co. seemingly believe that the competition in practice can serve as a barometer. And it’s clear that Notre Dame likes its options between Minchey and Carr.
“You can add a little bit of pressure through competition to see who can perform under those high pressure situations,” Freeman said. “I think they’re both capable being the starting quarterback at Notre Dame, or they wouldn’t be in this quarterback battle.”
The Irish will open the 2025 season on the road at Miami on Aug. 31.
Related: Marcus Freeman Sends Clear Message to Steve Angeli After His Decision to Leave Notre Dame
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.