Despite his family’s deep ties to Michigan, CJ Carr chose to play for Notre Dame. While that naturally created a competitive dynamic, it has taken on a new dimension when his younger brother, Tommy Carr, flipped his commitment from Miami (Ohio) to Michigan in late 2025, placing him at the direct rival of CJ’s school. But does that rivalry impact their personal relationship?

“It’ll get a little bit personal for sure,” said Tommy on Wednesday in an interview with Chase Herbstreit. “But I think honestly, that’s where I’ve grown the most, from those moments of competition, because competition is always going to make you better. When we’re playing, I’ll play them in basketball and pickleball, in which, first, I’ll smoke them in both, but those will get competitive, and that’s where it’s the most fun when it’s getting chippy and a little bit of blood. Nothing wrong with that.”

A fierce but supportive sibling rivalry defines the competitive dynamic between two brothers. Their mother, Tammi Carr, noted they compete in everything from golf and basketball to “insane” pickleball games. Then, their longtime QB trainer, Jeff Hewlett, observed that the brothers used this competition as a “love language.”

Hewlett stated that of all the high-profile siblings he has trained, including NFL QBs Brock Purdy and his brother Chubba, none were more competitive than CJ and Tommy Carr. During training sessions in Florida in the summer of 2025, the brothers would take turns throwing to WRs, with each pass becoming more impressive than the last as they tried to “top” one another. But Hewlett recalled a specific instance where, after Tommy made a particularly exceptional throw, he turned to CJ and joked, “I bet that receiver thinks I’m the quarterback at Notre Dame.”

Tommy, standing at 6-foot-3, is slightly taller than CJ, and that’s why he teased his older brother about it for weeks to annoy him. But the Michigan backup QB was indeed considered under-recruited because he spent the first two years of his high school career playing behind his older brother, CJ Carr. His “huge jump” in arm talent and physical development didn’t occur until his junior-to-senior season.

Following Tommy’s breakout eight-TD performance against Dexter in 2025, the Notre Dame QB reached out to congratulate him, and Tommy noted that while they were competitive, CJ was genuinely proud of his achievement. But CJ had never thrown eight TDs in a game during his high school career at Saline; Tommy finally had the “upper hand” in their ongoing rivalry.

Despite their on-field rivalry, the Notre Dame QB has been a mentor to Tommy. Before Tommy’s first high school start, CJ Carr’s advice was simply to “sling the rock” and play like they were in the backyard. CJ has often mentioned that he respects his younger brother for embracing his identity. While CJ chose to “branch out” to Notre Dame to escape the family shadow, he has supported Tommy’s decision to stay home and play for Michigan, seeing it as Tommy following his own lifelong dream.

While they are deeply supportive of one another, the brothers have chosen different paths that mirror their family’s divided loyalties. But both are making waves in their own fields.

CJ Carr and his younger brother’s rising journey

CJ and Tommy Carr are emerging from a legendary football family to build individual legacies at rival Power 4 programs. While they grew up in a household steeped in Michigan tradition, their paths to stardom diverged sharply between South Bend and Ann Arbor. The brothers’ rise began at Saline High School, where their bond was forged through intense competition.

Tommy spent his early high school years as CJ’s primary backup. Then, in 2024, the borderline 5-star chose Notre Dame to “blaze his own path” and sat behind Riley Leonard to learn the system. At that time, the Michigan QB was at Saline and had become the full-time starter. In 2025, after winning a high-profile battle for the starting job, CJ led the Fighting Irish to a dominant 2,741-yard, 24-TD season.

Meanwhile, following his breakout senior season at Saline, Tommy flipped his commitment to Michigan, calling it a “no-brainer” to play for the team coached by his grandfather, Lloyd Carr, despite late interest. Now he is already being cited as a potential future starter for the Wolverines.