Notre Dame football: State of the quarterback position

Notre Dame football: Getting help from the outside

With the future for Notre Dame football at quarterback far from certain, they indeed have a 2023 recruit lined up, right? Wrong. Unfortunately, the coaching staff couldn’t land immediate help or depth for the upcoming season. CJ Carr is committed from the class of 2024 and will have a huge role down the line, but a reclassification doesn’t seem imminent. So while fans may hate to hear it, it makes more sense for CJ to continue gaining experience and stay in the class of 2024. So, where does that leave us for 2023?

Coach Freeman and Rees’ best chance to get a top-25 quarterback from the class of 2023 is to work on flipping a committed player. So let’s start with one of the biggest recruits at the position in the class of 2023 – Dante Moore. With Moore creating waves in recent weeks thanks to a “Crystal Ball” forecast to MSU on 247Sports, is his recruitment open?

Typically I’d say good luck and keep it moving. That said, Moore was heavily considering the Irish in the not-too-distant past. While it’s a long shot he flips to Notre Dame, he would have the opportunity and be the heavy favorite to start as a freshman. Of course, the same could be said for any of the guys Notre Dame was recruiting.

What about someone they offered but didn’t get involved more seriously with until late? Avery Johnson, out of Maize, Kansas, is another name to keep in mind. While he seems pretty locked in with Kansas State, the same was said about classmate Dylan Edwards also out of Kansas. Edwards flipped to Notre Dame a few months back and seems to be primed for a big-time career with the Irish.

Avery is 6’2″ and 175 pounds and is rated as the 8th overall quarterback in his class, according to 247Sports. He may be more of a project than an immediate difference-maker. Still, he will undoubtedly be a talented QB when all is said.

"“With good length to his frame Johnson is a top-flight athlete at the QB position. He has good speed and change of direction which he uses to his advantage when he is on the move and out of the pocket.” – Chris Singletary, National Recruiting Expert – 247Sports"

The transfer portal has taken off in recent years thanks to relaxed restrictions and the ability to transfer at will. Big names such as Caleb Williams, Quinn Ewers, Justin Fields, and Joe Burrow moved schools in the past few years alone. While no massive former recruits are currently in the portal, something tells me we’ll see a couple of top 4 or 5-star recruits enter in no time.

Look at Texas, for instance. They have Arch Manning scheduled to arrive next year, who probably expects to play immediately while having Hudson Card and Quinn Ewers on the roster. Ewers and Card were both top recruits in their own classes, and frankly, there’s not enough room or playing time for 2, let alone all 3. Would Ewers or Card be looking to transfer? My guess is one eventually will.

What about Cade McNamara at Michigan? Though he just had surgery to deal with a lingering injury, the job is all but assuredly JJ McCarthys. Would Cade move from Michigan to Notre Dame if guaranteed a better possibility of becoming the starting quarterback? He wouldn’t think twice about it.

Situations exist like this all over college football. Would Dante Moore push Ty Thompson out of Oregon? What about the headache at Clemson with DJ Uiagalelei, Cade Klubnik, and soon-to-be on-campus Christopher Vizzina?

There will absolutely be some massive names to enter the transfer portal but will Notre Dame football be able to capitalize or let the chance slip by the wayside? If they want to truly compete next year, Marcus and Tommy must consider all the options and bring in as much competition as possible. The rest of the team looks primed for success. Let’s not let the most crucial position hold us back from achieving that success.