The 2025 CFP selections didn’t sit well with HC Marcus Freeman and the Irish faithful. The committee ultimately squeezed Notre Dame out of the 12-team field and gave the spot to Miami instead. Frustrations have been boiling over in South Bend, and ND declined a bowl bid. Now that the transfer portal window is opening soon, those setbacks are starting to take a serious toll on Notre Dame’s roster.

CBS Sports reporter Matt Zenitz reported that sources expect Notre Dame backup QB Kenny Minchey to enter the transfer portal.

Minchey came really close to winning the starting quarterback job for Notre Dame’s 2025 opener against Miami. He looked great in both spring and fall camp, and plenty of people believed he actually outperformed Carr. But Freeman wasn’t ready to rush into naming a starter just yet.

“We’re still in a competition,” Freeman said. “We’ll go back and evaluate today’s practice and make a decision. We’ve got to make a decision here soon. I don’t want to put a timeline on it, but they’ve both been playing really, really well.”

Most insiders said the quarterback battle was basically a 50-50 toss-up. In the end, Carr showed up in the final scrimmage and convinced the coaches he was the guy, even though there were still a few concerns about turnovers. Marcus Freeman admitted he had to “trust my gut” in picking CJ Carr. The staff valued Carr’s football IQ and long-term upside, while some coaches saw Minchey as the steadier, safer option. And the team didn’t leave Minchey in the dark this season. In limited opportunities in five games this season, he completed 20 of 26 passes for 196 yards and added seven carries for 84 yards and a touchdown.

Despite this, according to Pro Football Focus, Minchey’s passing grade of 85.8 ranked 10th among Power Four QBs this season. Sure, Minchey’s stat line doesn’t jump off the page. But that’s mostly because Carr actually played really well as the starter.

He threw for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns, and only six picks. Marcus Freeman’s call paid off. But this situation created a problem that leaves Minchey with zero clarity about his future. That’s why leaving really felt like his only move. Now, he hits the portal as one of the most intriguing young quarterbacks available, with two years of eligibility to make a fresh start.

Notre Dame’s worst nightmare came true

The CFP selections haunted Marcus Freeman like anything. Freeman’s squad dominated mid-tier foes, beating USC and Boise State, but that Coral Gables opener haunted them in tiebreakers. AD Pete Bevacqua called prior top-10 rankings “a joke,” slamming ESPN and the committee for shattering title hopes after weeks of playoff teases. Hours later, Marcus Freeman and his Fighting Irish pulled the ultimate power move.

The Irish withdrew from the Pop-Tarts Bowl against BYU. It marks their second opt-out since 2009 as a direct protest against a committee that favored Alabama’s SEC title loss and Miami’s Week 1 win over ND. However, ND president Rev. Robert A. Dowd had his team’s back.

“On behalf of the entire Notre Dame community, I want to express how incredibly proud we are of our football student-athletes for their accomplishments both on and off the field this season,” he said.

“We are deeply grateful for the exceptional leadership of Vice President and Director of Athletics Pete Bevacqua, Head Coach Marcus Freeman, and the entire coaching staff. Our pride stems not only from this team’s success on the field but also from the values they embody: faith, perseverance, selflessness, and a steadfast commitment to the university.”

The frustration is real, seeing ND’s resume this season with a 10-2 run. They are fifth nationally in scoring (504 points) and elite defensively (17.6 points allowed per game). Freeman doubled down on ND’s storied independence on the Joe Klatt Show, calling it “what this program was built from” with perks like full NBC TV control and solo playoff revenue. Yet he left the door cracked.