Entering the 2026 season, the partnership between head coach Marcus Freeman and quarterback CJ Carr has transformed Notre Dame into a preseason darling. For the first time in Freeman’s tenure, he enjoys true continuity at the most vital position, returning a starting quarterback and an offensive coordinator, Mike Denbrock, for a second consecutive year.
How CJ Carr’s Return Gives Notre Dame a New Level of Familiarity?
Denbrock appeared at a press conference on Friday and discussed the offense’s outlook for the coming season. When asked about how far he could push the offense with a returning QB, Denbrock said that it made “the process a lot easier.”
Denbrock said, “This is the first time in a while we weren’t trying to break somebody in and make sure that they had both feet on the ground. He’s (CJ Carr) got a year of experience under his belt. You know, that’s a good thing sometimes.”
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“But it’s great. I mean, it’s easy on everybody because there’s a familiarity. There’s obviously a familiarity from a playbook standpoint, and then from the players around him, there’s a familiarity even though there are some new faces out there running around as well that we’re excited about.”
Carr enters the year as a Heisman Trophy front-runner after a stellar redshirt freshman campaign in which he threw for 2,741 yards and 24 touchdowns. He is now viewed as the nation’s best returning Power Four signal-caller.
With a veteran offensive line and a defense loaded with NFL-caliber talent, the Irish have an 82.5% chance to make the College Football Playoff, per PFSN’s CFB Playoff Meter.
The primary hurdle for 2026 is the departure of Notre Dame’s best running back group in years. The loss of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, who combined for 2,046 rushing yards last season, shifts the offensive burden squarely onto Carr’s shoulders.
Additionally, while the wide receiver room is physically talented, Carr must break in new primary targets after losing five of his top six pass-catchers from 2025.
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The opportunity lies in Carr’s transition from learning to mastering. Freeman noted that while Carr spent last year learning the “what” of the playbook, he is now focused on the “how,” even studying film of NFL veterans like Matthew Stafford to elevate his game.
The stability of the coaching staff allows the offense to skip the introductory phase and dive into high-level adjustments that were previously impossible with a revolving door at quarterback.
