The QB1 carousel spun fast in South Bend. The battle, which started as a three-man race with CJ Carr, Steve Angeli, and Kenny Minchey, turned into a two-horse sprint after Angeli chose Syracuse. Now, Marcus Freeman sits at the crossroads, weighing Carr’s polished composure and experience against Minchey’s dynamic dual-threat abilities. Let’s be real, he’s not alone who’s stuck in QB purgatory; Alabama, Ohio State, and other programs also face similar kinds of dilemmas. But following last year’s playoff run with Riley Leonard, Notre Dame can’t afford a gamble. Freeman needs certainty, not a hunch. The big question is whether Carr or Minchey can truly grab the reins and lead the Irish charge.

It looked like the spring game almost gave everyone that answer, where sophomore CJ Carr went 14 of 19 for 170 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. And if you watched his scrimmage, he looked so calm and composed and was making throws look pretty easy. But even Kenny Minchey had a promising run, finishing 6 of 14 for 106 yards and running for 12 more yards with one touchdown on 6 carries. So, even if their stats say a different story, each one of them had moments where you are like, ‘Man, this kid’s got it’.

Even ND’s senior tight end, Eli Raridon, doubled down on Marcus Freeman’s confusion after watching their tape. “If I were to make a decision, I wouldn’t know who to pick either,” he said. That’s why Freeman is giving it all some more time and preparing them for some fall camp hustle. And he laid out his perfect plan on the ESPN College Football show, saying, “Those questions will be answered by the quarterbacks during fall camp, and I love that because I love competition right now. You can add a little bit of pressure, through competition to see who can perform under those high-pressure situations. So I think they’re both capable of being the starting quarterback at Notre Dame, or they wouldn’t be in this quarterback battle, but I’m looking forward to an extremely challenging and high-pressure fall camp.”

Now it’s the fire of competition that will forge Marcus Freeman, his starting quarterback this season. But is he really thinking of giving charge to one or planning on using both of them? Sounds interesting, right? Last season, Riley Leonard averaged 4.9 yards per carry, and he often used to call his own number in short-yardage situations. Converting 68 first downs by rush in more than 4 per game, he gained 906 rushing yards in 16 games and also had 17 rushing TDs. Impressive, huh? Freeman could try to repeat that success with designed runs for Kenny Minchey, even if CJ Carr starts.

And he isn’t denying that idea at all. “You know you’re going to look for any way to help your team win. And if that means you use two quarterbacks for certain situations, then you’re going to find a way to use two quarterbacks. That might be two quarterbacks on the field at the same time. Who knows? You know, it’s just [that] creativity is so important, and we have some creative football coaches and players here that we’ll come up with the right plan,” Freeman said.

Though Carr’s not immobile, imagine Minchey entering as the short-yardage and goal-line specialist. This gives OC Mike Denbrock a potent weapon, confusing defenses, and countering stacked boxes with a genuine running QB threat. Such a strategic shift not only extends drives but also gives defensive coordinators sleepless nights.

Marcus Freeman is enthusiastic not only about the quarterback competition but also fired up about the rivalry games too.

Marcus Freeman’s bold take on rivalry

The Notre Dame-USC rivalry is college football at its finest, a battle for bragging rights and legacy. The Jeweled Shillelagh trophy, awarded to the winner, represents more than victory; it embodies pride, history, and dominance in one of the sport’s greatest showdowns. Notre Dame holds a slight all-time edge (50-37-5), even since the trophy’s inception, though both teams have enjoyed periods of supremacy.

This intense rivalry, dating back to 1926, has only grown stronger over time, interrupted only briefly by World War II and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. This consistent annual matchup remains a must-see event, and the 2021 back-to-back games in South Bend injected fresh excitement into this classic contest.

The USC game is not just important to Marcus Freeman; it’s his top priority. “I’m a huge proponent of rivalries. I think the Notre Dame-USC rivalry is one of the greatest. I remember before I got here memories of that game and the plays that would either lead to a championship or the playoffs or whatever the situation was that stick out in my mind. And so I think they’re great, and I think we’ve got to find ways to continuously save some of those special college football rivalries,” he said.

And can we blame him? The rivalry between these two football giants is a history of dominance and grit. USC reigned supreme from 1967 to 1982, boasting a 12-2-2 record, only to be overtaken by Notre Dame’s undefeated streak in the 80s and early 90s. USC then rebounded with an 8-0 run in the 2000s, highlighting the pendulum-like momentum swings in this intense competition.

Beyond the games, both schools boast incredible legacies, accumulating 24 national championships and 15 Heisman Trophies between them—USC holding the most Heismans in college football history. And Marcus Freeman knows the importance of such games, and that’s exactly why he isn’t ready to stop playing such rivalry games. “I know there are some people above me that will make some of those decisions on scheduling, but it would be a disservice to get away from some of those great rivalries, and I’m a huge proponent of Notre Dame and USC continuously playing each other for an endless amount of time,” he said.

This year, both teams are going to face each other on October 19. Let’s see how the battle of supremacy goes in which teams favor this season.