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The tide is turning for the underdog in the Notre Dame quarterback battle

ByNicholas Rome|
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, right, greets quarterback Kenny Minchey (8) during a football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, in South Bend.
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, right, greets quarterback Kenny Minchey (8) during a football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Coming off of a run to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish face the daunting task of replacing their starting quarterback. Riley Leonard leaves behind a massive void and Marcus Freeman's team will have to turn to a first time starter to fill the role. The battle started as a three man race to replace Leonard as CJ Carr, Kenny Minchey, and Steve Angeli battled for the role.

After Spring Camp, the battle dwindled down to CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey as Steve Angeli saw the writing on the wall and transferred to Syracuse. The assumption by everyone was that this was CJ Carr's job and that the battle was going to be more of a coronation. As fall camp has progressed it's become evident that this is far closer than anyone envisioned.

While everyone expected that CJ Carr would secure the job, as things currently stand, Kenny Minchey has a slight edge to win the job according to On3's Pete Nakos.

When this was a three quarterback race, it seemed most likely that Minchey would finish third which has makes his emergence this offseason so exciting. Coming out of High School, Kenny Minchey was ranked as the 171st ranked player in the Country, the 14th ranked quarterback in the class, and the 3rd ranked player out of Tennessee.

During his High School career, Kenny Minchey dealt with injuries otherwise he could've been a top-10 quarterback in the class and a top-100 recruit. Minchey has always showcased impressive arm talent but, he's also a dynamic athlete who can help replace some of the production Riley Leonard had rushing.

The final two scrimmages for the Fighting Irish could swing this battle either way but, based on how Minchey has surged this offseason, he's going to have a great chance at winning the job. The Fighting Irish will need to figure out who's the guy for the job as soon as possible as they'll go on the road to face the Miami Hurricanes to start the season.

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