Notre Dame named its quarterback for opener vs. Miami. What UM fans need to know
The Miami Hurricanes now know which quarterback they will be facing when the season begins on Aug. 31 against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Notre Dame on Tuesday named redshirt freshman CJ Carr as starting quarterback ahead of the top-10 season-opening matchup — Miami is No. 10 in the preseason AP poll, Notre Dame is No. 6 — at Hard Rock Stadium.
He beat out redshirt sophomore Kenny Minchey for the starting spot. He will succeed Riley Leonard, who led Notre Dame to the national championship game last season and was selected in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts.
Carr, a consensus four-star prospect in the Class of 2024, dealt with an elbow injury most of his first season with the Fighting Irish. He appeared in one game for Notre Dame last season (a blowout win against Purdue on Sept. 14, but has not thrown a pass at the collegiate level.
The quarterback pushed through his rehab and has impressed the coaching staff since. In the team’s spring game, he completed 14 of 19 passes for 170 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
“It’s been a surprise blessing,” Carr said, according to 247Sports. “You come off injury, you’re pissed, you’re hurt, but you come back, you can throw it 10 yards further than you did before.”
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman recently told reporters, including the Athletic, after the team’s scrimmage on Sunday that the Fighting Irish needed to “make a decision here soon” in regard to the quarterback battle.
That decision has now come after two weeks of practices and as the Fighting Irish, like most teams around the country, shift from training camp to game preparation.
Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock told reporters leading up to the decision that the coaching staff was “not as freaked out about the fact that somebody hasn’t been named the starting quarterback as a lot of people seem to be.”
“They’re both good enough to help us win football games,” Denbrock added, according to 247Sports. “That’s why it’s such a close competition. I guess I would add to that that both of those young men have tremendous love and respect within the framework of our locker room. ... It’s because we know both individuals involved We know how their teammates feel about them, care about them, trust them and they both played really well. So, we’re gonna figure this thing out.”
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