Notre Dame QB Steve Angeli was expected by many to be the starting quarterback in South Bend this season, but that won't be the case after all.
Angelii is officially entering the NCAA Transfer Portal, and it’s not an announcement anyone really expected heading into the heart of spring. Angeli had been viewed as a frontrunner to win the starting job in South Bend this season with Riley Leonard gone. But now? Angeli is out, and suddenly the Fighting Irish quarterback picture is coming into focus.
This isn’t just a random depth guy hitting the portal. Angeli has been part of the program for three years and looked poised to finally take the reins. He filled in admirably during last season’s College Football Playoff semifinal win over Penn State, completing 6 of 7 passes and helping steady the offense when it mattered most.
Across the 2024 season, he played in 11 games, threw for 268 yards, and had three touchdowns with no picks.
And that’s exactly what made this move so unexpected.
Notre Dame seemed to be narrowing its quarterback battle down to Angeli, CJ Carr, and Kenny Minchey. While Carr had been picking up steam this offseason—especially with a reported strong showing in practices—Angeli was still believed to be in serious contention. So either the Irish staff wasn’t ready to commit to him as QB1, or Angeli sensed that the tide was turning and decided to get ahead of it.
With Angeli on the move, we'd point to Carr being the starter at Notre Dame next season.
Angeli becomes an attractive option for teams in need of an experienced quarterback. Remember, ESPN’s Greg McElroy even compared Angeli to Joe Burrow earlier this year. That might be lofty, but it shows the level of potential some see in him.
One potential destination we would highlight would be Tennessee. The Vols are without a starting quarterback right now with Nico Iamaleava reportedly on his way to UCLA, so Angeli might be the perfect fit there in Knoxville.