This time last year, head coach Marcus Freeman was wondering who his starter would be for the 2025 football season. It was a long and hard-fought battle, but in the end, freshman CJ Carr beat out Kenny Minchey for the role and proved that Freeman made the right choice.
Now, with spring ball on the cusp of starting, Freeman doesn't have to worry about who the starting quarterback will be, but instead who the backup will be. With the transfer of Minchey to Kentucky through the transfer portal, Freeman now must find someone who can be a solid backup to Carr for the upcoming 2026 season.
Freeman has narrowed down the battle to three guys: Blake Hebert, Noah Grubbs, and Teddy Jarrard. The only guy who won't be at spring ball will be Jarrard, who already reclassified to get to South Bend sooner, but won't be joining until June.
Freeman clarified that Notre Dame has to name a backup quarterback, and it will be a three-way battle between Blake Hebert, Noah Grubbs and Teddy Jarrard (who arrives in June).
— Jack Soble (@jacksoble56) March 18, 2026
However: "That doesn't mean you're gonna be the starter next year."
Marcus Freeman isn't making an promises to his quarterbacks
While the battle between Hebert, Grubbs, and Jarrard realistically won't be starting until the summer due to Jarrard coming later, Freeman has made it clear that being the backup isn't a promise of starting the following year.
After the 2026 season, Carr has the option to go to the NFL, and many are thinking that he will, with his talent and the quarterback pool for next season. If that is the case, Freeman made sure his backups knew that there would most likely be another battle for that starting position again.
Hebert is the only quarterback in this backup battle who has actually spent a season with the Irish. Both Grubbs and Jarrard are coming in as freshmen and will have a lot to learn about the program. If there is one thing Freeman proved last season with his choice of Carr, it is that time in the program doesn't mean anything.
It will truly come down to the talent and work ethic of the player that will have Freeman making his decision. Being the backup isn't the worst job in the world, and it is certainly one that one of these guys will have to take very seriously, as they could be going into a game at a moment's notice.