With no quarterback battle going into the 2026 season, CJ Carr can fully concentrate on his development. Notre Dame fell short of making the playoff last year, and Carr didn’t stay in the Heisman conversation, but his outlook for 2026 still appears very promising.
Why Notre Dame QB CJ Carr Is Shrugging Off 2026 Heisman Hype
Mark Ingram asked Carr on “The Triple Option” podcast on Wednesday about his feelings on already being in the discussion as a way-too-early preseason Heisman favorite.
“It’s way too early,” Carr said. “If you had looked at last year’s projected Heisman winner, I don’t think Fernando Mendoza would be anywhere near that. And so it really doesn’t mean anything to me, and Team Glory is what we’re after. And with Team Glory, the individual rewards will come.”
Carr’s take is legit, as at this time last year, Mendoza was a relatively unknown transfer at Indiana. However, he had won the Heisman Trophy by December and led the Hoosiers to a perfect 16-0 season and a national championship. He ended the season with a 93.3 score in the PFSN College Football QB Impact Metric before being selected by the Las Vegas Raiders as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Meanwhile, Carr’s Heisman discussion ahead of the 2026 season is also not surprising after a record-breaking season in 2025. He posted a program-record 168.1 passer rating and finished the season with an 85.9 score in the PFSN College Football QB Impact Metric.
Those around Carr at Notre Dame have noticed his mindset and independence, as cornerback Leonard Moore previously described Carr as someone trying to build his own path. That growth has also been recognized internally by offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock.
“I just think overall it’s his command of our offense,” Denbrock said of Carr’s growth, via the Irish Sports Daily. “He is in a position now where he can steer the ship. Sometimes he steers it in the ditch, and sometimes he steers it on the straight and narrow. We’re still working through all that. We’ve got a comfort level there.
“He’s done an incredible job of taking command, not only from a leadership standpoint, but making sure if we get a look that it’s a little frustrating for the play that we got called, getting us into something a little bit better that gives our guys a better opportunity to be successful. When you have that, you have a chance to stay ahead of the chains and have a really positive offensive series or game or whatever it happens to be.”
With Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price moving on to the NFL, the 2026 season will place even more responsibility on Carr’s shoulders. However, both Denbrock and head coach Marcus Freeman appear fully confident that he is ready to lead the offense forward.
