Marcus Freeman has finally made up his mind about his new QB1. The saga started with three contenders. CJ Carr, Kenny Minchey, and Steve Angeli. The last one left for Syracuse, and then, there were two. Now, the head coach has selected Carr to lead the offense. “Marcus Freeman has named CJ Carr Notre Dame’s starting QB over Kenny Minchey,” the football program announced on their social media accounts on Tuesday.

Unlike the last two seasons, when Freeman chose veteran QBs in Sam Hartman and Riley Leonard, both Carr and Minchey come with little to no game experience. The Irish are facing the No. 10-ranked Miami at Hard Rock Stadium in their Week 1 matchup. What is Freeman looking for? “…Consistency, leadership, the ability to take care of the ball, but I also want a guy that’s aggressive, a guy that’s not scared to make mistakes.”

However, Carr’s relative ineffectiveness in the run game means that he won’t be a part of the team’s offensive identity, which Freeman revealed would be around running the ball. “That’s going to be our identity,” Freeman said. “With teams that want to stack the box and put one extra defender in the box, we’ve got to be able to throw the ball down the field, make good decisions in terms of their progression.”

CJ Carr’s passing prowess has never been in doubt. At Saline High School in Michigan, the new Irish QB1 threw for over 8,000 yards and 78 touchdowns across three seasons. However, he only had 554 rushing yards over this period. That’s one of the reason why the QB battle was seen to be a close fight between Carr and Minchey. The latter was praised by the coaching staff for his speed during the spring camp.

Although the Irish’s identity is rooted in running the football, the passing game is also “vitally important.” So, is that where C.J. Carr fits in Marcus Freeman’s scheme of things? As per ESPN’s Marty Smith, Freeman made his QB1 decision owing to Carr’s leadership qualities and his talent. “…That’s because that young man [CJ Carr] was running that offense the best. He has a lot of talent around him. He’s got a great line in front of him.”

He further added. “I’ve got no worry about that at all… I just think that they are just getting started. Last year was a statement. But I just think this is such a sustainable thing that Marcus has built; he loves to be there; I think that they have another opportunity to take another step.”

Even with an inexperienced QB1, Notre Dame’s got a solid offense in a loaded RB locker room. Looking at their weapons in the backfield, it’s no surprise that the Irish head coach wants to run the thing. We saw a glimpse of that identity in the championship final against the Buckeyes. First drive of the game, and Freeman just ran the ball again and again for a touchdown. That might have had an adverse effect on Riley Leonard, but it showed that if a defense is cutting down their passing lanes, the Irish won’t be afraid to do what’s working.

Marcus Freeman’s RB room is locked and loaded

In the RB room, Jeremiyah Love has strong momentum. Fox Sports has elected the Irish player as the top running back in the Top 10 College Football Running Backs in 2025. Yeah, his impressive performance in the national championship game against the Buckeyes grabbed eyeballs. He was voted a preseason All-American after running for 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns last year. Jadarian Price and Aneyas Williams are another set of talented RBs on the Irish roster.

“It’s an unselfish room. You got two guys that could be on the field every play of the game,” Freeman said. “So we have to have the ability to rotate those guys, keep them fresh, take some hits off them, but we got to be able to maybe use them both at the same time, and in different ways.”

Behind Love and Leonard, Price finished as Notre Dame’s third-leading rusher in 2024, after he tallied 746 yards and 7 touchdowns on 6.2 yards per carry. Williams recorded 391 yards as the team’s third-string running back. Now, with Leonard gone to the NFL, Freeman is emphasizing a two-running back approach with Love and Price. “They’re different styles of running backs, and they’re both extremely productive [and] dependable. We’ll find unique ways to make sure those guys are getting the ball in their hands,” Marcus Freeman added.

So, how are Marcus Freeman and the roster gearing up for the 2025 season? “The thing I love is that, like any competitor, you want to play the best, and our guys are itching for it. I’m itching for it. We’re looking forward to this opportunity,” the HC promised. Well, the grind is on.