Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame have some serious unfinished business moving into the 2025 season. Their National Championship dream is yet to come true. Back in March, Freeman had already sent a reminder to his rivals about his team’s vibrating energy. As Tyler Horka noted, “It’s year four for Marcus Freeman at Notre Dame, and he keeps coming across as more comfortable and confident with each practice, press conference, etc.” 

According to the analyst, this narrative must have been “put to bed.” But that’s Freeman, folks! He won’t “let it die.” While the head coach is confident about how he is going to rage the 2025 season, here comes some heartbreak in the quarterback position. Turns out CJ Carr is going through a rough patch. 

The Fighting Irish had hit their training camp on Sunday, August 17. That’s when a battle spilled out between Carr and Kenny Minchey. The moral of the story? Whom Freeman is going to crown as his QB1 is still unsettled. But what we know is that Carr is cruising in first gear, while Michey is on full throttle. As analyst Mike T Singer reported some fresh intel from the camp, “My sources believe that Minchey had the better day overall. Minchey took care of the ball (zero INTs) and takes a more cautious approach with letting the ball rip downfield. This lines up with what Blue & Gold has been hearing throughout camp. He had a solid, consistent day.” Cut to Carr? Fans won’t be that happy.

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound freshman from Saline, Michigan, arrives as one of the most decorated recruits in recent Notre Dame history. Carr flashed talent, by leading a touchdown drive as well as hitting immediate throws to Micah Gilbert and Eli Raridon. But one thing seemed off. That is, Carr has been prone to making errors. “Regarding Carr, it’s my understanding that he led a touchdown drive, but he also threw interceptions on back-to-back plays, both picked off by true freshman cornerback Mark Zackery,” Singer noted. “I believe both plays had defensive or offsetting penalties, but the interceptions were thrown. Carr got hot at times, connecting well on intermediate passes to Micah Gilbert and Eli Raridon.” So, things are pretty black and white.

According to the analyst, Freeman is not going to give a nod to Carr. And that’s when Minchey is likely to get lucky. But the Notre Dame staff is yet to come to a conclusion. But they are taking things easy, as offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock shared, “We’re not as freaked out about the fact that somebody hasn’t been named the starting quarterback as a lot of people seem to be, but it’s because we know both individuals involved.” Now, what is on Carr’s plate if he misses the QB1 race?

CJ Carr feels the heat as analysts heap praise on Kenny Minchey

Looks like Carr is standing on quicksand. After all, he got to fight for the QB1 torch against someone like Minchey, who has already made others proud with his Elite 11 finals feat. As On3 reporter Steve Wiltfong wrote on X, “Notre Dame QB Kenny Minchey hasn’t popped up out of nowhere. Had some injuries in high school, but when he was on the field, he was accurate and could zip it around the yard. He certainly stood out at the Elite 11 Finals.” The praise game continued with analysts snatching all the spotlights away from Carr.

As college football analyst Matt Gajewski was not quite impressed with Carr’s fall camp outcome. He came with a sharp take, “CJ Carr has been unable to separate from Kenny Minchey… this is a true QB battle.” Forget analysts, even Denbrock himself hinted at who is highly likely to win the QB1 spot. “There is absolutely no reason why Kenny can’t be the starter,” said the coach. But to Carr, it has got more things to do than start for Freeman’s Notre Dame. 

The Athletic ranked CJ Carr at No. 49 while ranking every projected starting quarterback in the FBS. But at the same time, Andy Staples sees him as one of the dark horses in the Heisman race. He had placed Carr with +4500 odds. For better understanding, Alabama’s Ty Simpson and Ole Miss’ Austin Simmons sit at +4000 odds. On the other hand, Baylor Bears’ Sawyer Roverstson has the highest odds at +6600. To Staples, with his skill set, Carr is poised to rival quarterbacks like Garrett Nussmeier, Cade Klubnik, and LaNorris Sellers, who currently headline the Heisman conversation. If Carr doesn’t win the QB1 job, his Heisman hopes vanish with it.