As CJ Carr gets ready to make his first career start for the Notre Dame football team, he's been talking quite a bit about all the advice and tutelage he's gotten from different people whose opinion he values. Some of those people are family members. Others are former teammates like Sam Hartm and Riley Leonard.
Last week, he went into specifics about what he's learned from the two men who led the Fighting Irish at the quarterback position before him. He practiced alongside Hartman when the team was getting ready for their bowl game against Oregon State in 2023. Then he was an understudy to Leonard all of last season.
How CJ Carr is preparing for his first start as Notre Dame football's QB1
"I think the biggest thing I learned from Sam (Hartmann) and Riley, I was around him a lot more than I was around Sam, is just, the way he carries himself, the way he leads, the way he treats his teammates, it's second to none," Carr said. "I haven't been around too many people that are just that invested in the team, so I kinda hope to continue to take that into this next seasonm," he said about the former Notre Dame quarterback who led the Irish to the National Championship game.
Notre Dame QB CJ Carr said he learned a lot from Riley Leonard that he’ll try to emulate this season.
— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) August 22, 2025
“The way he carries himself, the way he leads, the way he treats his teammates is second to none. I haven’t been around too many people that are just that invested in the team.” pic.twitter.com/U5JRCTecpD
Leonard is now on the Indianapolis Colts, trying to find a way to climb the depth chart. In his rookie season, he is content to be 3rd and on the depth chart. But Leonard seems to be happy and content wherever he is.
Carr wants to emulate Leonard's approach in being the consummate teammate. The guy that the entire Notre Dame football team can rally around and get behind. That road starts on Sunday in Hard Rock Stadium, when he leads the offense out against Miami.