Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame has many things to do this offseason, as it was allegedly snubbed in the College Football Playoff in 2025, despite a 10-2 record. As the Irish begin their transfer portal push, they are expected to host some highly productive portal targets this week, including a quarterback.
Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman Eyes Elite QB to Push Competition for CJ Carr
Mercer quarterback Braden Atkinson is set to visit Notre Dame on Tuesday, as his agent Grayson Sheena told ESPN. His agent also told On3’s Pete Nakos that Atkinson is attracting interest from Syracuse, Baylor, Boston College, and Cal.
Atkinson was named Mercer’s starting quarterback after the team’s 15-10 season-opening loss to Presbyterian on Aug. 30. He made his college debut in a 22-21 win over Wofford on Sept. 13.
“I just feel like that first loss to Presbyterian it was really a wake-up call to us, and ever since then, we haven’t looked back,” Atkinson said in October. “And we’ve always been working hard at practice and in the gym and just putting our next foot forward.”
After taking over as QB1, Atkinson led Mercer to back-to-back wins and helped the team maintain a 9-0 record against FCS opponents. Head coach Mike Jacobs praised him as “a young kid that’s wise beyond his years.”
At Notre Dame, current starter CJ Carr has a PFSN QB Impact Grade of 85.9, ranking No. 23 nationally. Carr could remain at Notre Dame as a redshirt sophomore until the 2027 NFL Draft or later. With Kenny Minchey entering the transfer portal and committing to Kentucky, Freeman could consider Atkinson as competition for Carr.
Rolesville High School (North Carolina) head coach Ranier Rackley has worked with Atkinson. As Rackley has also dealt with Notre Dame staff for the last few years through recruiting, he is trying to facilitate Atkinson’s recruitment in South Bend.
“I hit them up when I found out he was getting in the portal,” Rackley told The Irish Sports Daily. “Once it was official, they reached out and said they loved Braden and wanted to get him on campus. From there, it moved pretty quickly.”
“I told him, ‘You’ve got to feel comfortable. When you get there, you’re going to fall in love with the place and the people.’ That’s what matters.”
In Mercer’s final FCS regular-season game on Nov. 15, Atkinson led the team to a 63-17 win over Chattanooga, throwing five touchdowns. It was a school-record-tying performance and the third time he had matched that mark.
Atkinson finished the season with 3620 yards- 3,611 passing yards, 34 touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown on nine rushing yards. He also won the Jerry Rice Award, becoming the 15th player to receive the honor as the FCS’s top freshman.
