Notre Dame enters the 2025 season with a rare quarterback showdown between rising junior Kenny Minchey and redshirt freshman CJ Carr. The competition intensified after veteran Steve Angeli transferred to Syracuse, narrowing the race for QB1 in South Bend.
Analysts note that the program has not seen a true starting quarterback contest since 2018, adding weight to this year’s decision. Both signal-callers have drawn attention from fans and media, but Minchey’s experience could prove decisive.
Sources Indicate Key Advantage for Kenny Minchey in Notre Dame Quarterback Competition with CJ Carr
Less than three weeks until Notre Dame opens its season against Miami on August 31, the quarterback race in South Bend remains unresolved. Redshirt sophomore Minchey and redshirt freshman Carr are in a tight battle for the starting role, and multiple scrimmages in the coming days could determine the outcome.
As On3’s Pete Nakos reported, “The Fighting Irish’s quarterback battle continues to carry on. Sources have told On3 that CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey have been splitting first-team reps, swapping between first-team and second-team daily.”
The team is expected to hold at least one more scrimmage before head coach Marcus Freeman names a starter, with Sunday and Monday considered possible decision dates.
Kenny Minchey has gained steam in the Notre Dame quarterback competition but CJ Carr is still very much a QB1 option.
Can’t deny Carr’s fluid throwing motion.
The maturity piece and everything that comes with it takes time. Technical stuff? He’s been mastering that for years. pic.twitter.com/D2nPD1AlYJ
— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) August 13, 2025
Nakos added that “there has not been much separation between Carr and Minchey,” though sources give Minchey “the slight edge entering the final two scrimmages.”
“Sources have given Minchey the slight edge entering the final two scrimmages. His mobility could prove to be an advantage when Freeman and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock make a final decision, Nakos noted.”
Minchey, a Hendersonville, Tennessee native, was ESPN’s No. 5 dual-threat quarterback in the 2023 recruiting class. His on-field résumé is limited to three career pass attempts and two runs. Carr, from Saline, Michigan, is the grandson of former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr.
Ranked as the No. 2 pocket passer and No. 36 overall recruit in the 2024 class, he redshirted last year after an elbow injury in late September. Still, he returned to full participation in the spring without surgery.
One source told On3 last week, “It is neck-and-neck with no clear separation. Minchey has the most college experience and more experience practicing in Mike Denbrock’s system with Carr sidelined last year, and that could prove to be a difference-maker when Marcus Freeman makes a decision.”
MORE: Former College Football Star Highlights Challenges in CJ Carr as Notre Dame’s QB Battle Tightens
The Irish are replacing last year’s starter, Riley Leonard, who declared for the 2025 NFL Draft. Whoever wins the job will become just the third Notre Dame quarterback in the past 20 years to make his first start in a season opener without prior meaningful game experience. The previous two were Demetrius Jones in 2007 and Everett Golson in 2012.
Minchey and Carr each took only four snaps last season, all against Purdue. Minchey appeared in three games in 2023, completing all three pass attempts for 16 yards. Carr has yet to attempt a collegiate pass. The decision on who leads the offense in Week 1 is expected before the final scrimmages wrap up.
