There’s no doubt that Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr is considered one of the best gunslingers in the game. Not only has Carr gotten Heisman mentions over and over, but he’s considered a shoo-in for a first-round pick. Of course, getting selected in the first round of the NFL draft doesn’t guarantee success. ESPN insider Jordan Reid thinks he knows what the young quarterback must do in order to guarantee success both in South Bend and beyond.
Reid recently put together a list of the 2027 NFL draft quarterback class and who are the names to know. Carr is right at the top of the list alongside North Carolina State quarterback CJ Bailey (what is it about QBs named CJ this year?) Reid pointed out everything that has gotten Carr quite a bit of hype. However, he also pointed out what has some analysts doubting him a bit.
“Carr won a training camp battle as a redshirt freshman last season and ran with it,” Reid wrote about the Notre Dame star when listing where he “excels.” “Finishing with 2,741 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He has an easy throwing motion that generates beautiful spirals. When he's on schedule, his eyes match his feet, and he plays the game with a quiet lower half.
“Though he's an average athlete, Carr can buy time with his quickness and isn't afraid to gain yards on the ground when they're available. Multiple scouts indicate Carr is the most popular choice as the signal-caller who could shoot high in Round 1. Notre Dame lost a lot of top skill players last season, so if Carr can shoulder the load and play well, his stock will rise.”
CJ Carr must limit forced plays to unlock Notre Dame football’s ceiling
Carr has demonstrated he could be one of the most elite quarterbacks in the 2026 season and the 2027 draft. However, Reid also thinks there are things the QB1 needs to work on this season to become as good as possible.
“The next step in Carr's development is limiting chaotic and forced plays,” Reid wrote about where Carr “needs work.” “He tries so hard to make every play overwhelmingly positive that he will run in circles in hopes of finding things that simply aren't there.”
“That causes situations in which he's too aggressive in attacking, throwing windows that have already slammed shut. Learning to relegate to his checkdown or simply throw the ball out of bounds can prevent him from taking unnecessary sacks and straddling the line into turnover-worthy plays.”
The chaotic stuff, especially, is something other analysts have noticed. He tends to get caught up in trying to make a play when there’s no play to be made. Plenty of times in 2026, he should have just thrown it away, but instead ran in circles or threw one up for grabs.
The good news here is that Notre Dame coaches almost certainly noticed these tendencies as well. It’s something that Denbrock and Freeman have had an entire offseason to hammer home. They will continue hammering it home in fall camp. Hopefully, CJ Carr takes that talk to heart and fixes what needs fixing.
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