As the Notre Dame football team heads ever closer to the 2026 season, quarterback CJ Carr has gotten mostly glowing reviews of his freshman season. Among the things that have made him one of the front-runners for the Heisman Trophy this fall is his composure in the pocket.
ESPN's David Hale recently put together an article ranking all 138 FBS quarterbacks for the upcoming season. That Carr was among the top tier in that ranking isn't all that surprising. However, when explaining why the Irish signal caller was ranked as high as he was, Hale shed some light on one of the things that could make Carr a special talent as he gets even more experience.
"No returning QB was blitzed at a higher rate in 2025 than Carr (36.7% of dropbacks)," Hale wrote about the Notre Dame gunslinger. "It didn't seem to bother him, as he completed 65% of his throws with 14 touchdowns and two picks when facing five or more pass rushers. Still, defenses had few other options. When they didn't blitz, Carr averaged 9.4 yards per dropback, the best rate in the country."
At the same time, Hale did point out some reasons why there have been a few analysts who aren't as sold on the idea of Carr being one of the best quarterbacks in the country. The Notre Dame star has taken some heat for not doing all that much, thanks in large part to Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price having such good seasons.
CJ Carr’s dropback dominance gives Notre Dame football a massive 2026 weapon
Those analysts believe the Fighting Irish coaches didn't ask Carr to do much. He wasn't the kind of QB who carried the team, and he will need to be exactly that in 2026. Not only that, but as Hale pointed out, his numbers were quite a bit better against the "also-ran" opponents compared to when he faced off against Power 4 opponents.
In four games vs. ranked Power 4 opponents last year, Carr threw 6 passing TDs, 5 INTs, and averaged just 6.3 yards per pass. Against the rest of Notre Dame's schedule, Carr had 18 passing TDs, just 1 interception, and averaged a much better 10.2 yards per pass.
What those stats ignore is that the Notre Dame quarterback didn't have much of a learning curve. His first two starts for the Fighting Irish were against Miami and Texas A&M. He struggled against the Hurricanes in the season opener. Still, considering Mario Cristobal's squad was one of the best defensive fronts in the country, he can be excused for struggling against that particular Power 4 opponent.
CJ Carr has the opportunity to be a very special player in the 2026 season. During a fantastic freshman campaign, he threw for 24 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions. Now in his second season as a starter, he could take what he learned in 2025 and take his game to the next level. Should he do that, he'll take Notre Dame to the next level as well.
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