On Saturday, Notre Dame featured a public showcase of its deepest, most difficult dilemma. It wasn’t a matter of who, but when. When would Notre Dame pull the trigger and really narrow down this quarterback battle? Recently, fans across the nation received that answer.
Well, partially.
Notre Dame has been the subject of a quarterback compromise. Who is next up in South Bend? These conversations date back to Notre Dame’s closing loss to Ohio State in the National Championship. With Riley Leonard out the door, the Irish had a few different options to pursue their next starting quarterback.
In addition to the fine quarterback room, many wondered whether Marcus Freeman would test the portal again. Ultimately, Notre Dame decided to remain sound with what it had. That left three options: Steve Angeli, Kenny Minchey, and CJ Carr. All three of these guys are starting-caliber players, which has made for an enthralled battle.
Coming into Notre Dame’s annual Blue-Gold Spring Game, the three-quarterback race was on public display. Frankly, there was nothing more important than getting a grasp on narrowing the battle down to two.
Here were the stats (provided via Pete Sampson):
CJ Carr: 10-of-12, 124 yards, 1 touchdown (2 scoring drives)
Steve Angeli: 2-of-5, 18 yards (no scoring drives)
Kenny Minchey: 2-of-7, 23 yards (no scoring drives)
From the naked eye, CJ Carr dominated this battle. He towered over both Angeli and Minchey in nearly every stat, and looked more composed than ever. The unenviable decision Freeman had to make was dwindled following this game.
The three players have been dueling for the starting spot since the end of last season, however, the benchmark approached fast. Steve Angeli was the most poised for this role. It was reported months prior that Angeli had gone about his battle like “it was his job to lose.” Evidently enough, it was. And he lost it.
On Wednesday afternoon, further reports spiraled through the college football realm that Steve Angeli would be entering the transfer portal. This came following the annual Blue-Gold gam,e where Angeli had competed against CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey.
Undoubtedly, Steve Angeli had the most experience out of these three guys. Angeli had previously served as a backup to Sam Hartman and Riley Leonard. Angeli had appeared in 21 games during his three-year tenure at Notre Dame. He accounted for 58 of 80 passes for 772 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 1 interception. This all goes without mentioning his memorable drive to save Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl against Penn State. Angeli came in for an injured Riley Leonard and completed 6-of-7 passes for 44 yards while leading the Irish downfield to a successful field goal attempt.
So, what went wrong? In hindsight, Angeli had his work cut out for him. As far as the other two competitors went, each possessed a trait that set them apart. For Angeli, it was all about the leadership and composure quality, which he demonstrated time and time again. Angeli had shown that he could win games when it mattered most, including the recent Orange Bowl and the Sun Bowl just two years ago. Angeli’s experience, along with his arm talent, is what led many to believe he held a firm position for the starting spot.
Last Saturday, Angeli didn’t really possess that spark that many had hoped for. Angeli, Carr, and Minchey all had taken turns playing reps with the first, second, and third units. Ultimately, Angeli failed to showcase his best qualities, his pocket presence, arm strength, and leadership.
It appeared as if Marcus Freeman addressed Angeli following the game, making him aware of the upcoming decision. Needless to say, this now makes for a two-person race, just as Notre Dame had anticipated heading into the game. CJ Carr, a redshirt freshman, and Kenny Minchey, a redshirt sophomore, are now the final contestants for this spot, which will make for a competitive spring practice.
CJ Carr likely now becomes the betting favorite to win this job after his performance, and with the departure of Angeli. While Kenny Minchey certainly possesses the athletic ability and dual-threat combo, CJ Carr just has that “Wow” factor that is hard to look past. Put it like this: if Notre Dame wanted a quarterback similar to Sam Hartman, it would have to be Angeli. If Notre Dame wanted a quarterback similar to Riley Leonard, it would be Kenny Minchey. If Notre Dame wanted the total package, it would be CJ Carr.
Carr was a former consensus five-star quarterback from Detroit, Michigan. He was a top-50 prospect in the class of 2024 and was an early enrollee at Notre Dame last season. In recent years, Notre Dame has been very eager to test the portal waters and pitch an offer to a proven vet. Not anymore, though. This is a homegrown roster where a new star will be shining come late August.