Several Notre Dame offensive stars are doing everything they can to make sure the Fighting Irish live up to the massive hype surrounding them in 2026. Earlier this week, a large group of them got together to start working out, as they can't do so under the watchful eye of Irish coaches. So quarterback CJ Carr joined teammates Cam Williams, Elijah Burress, Jaden Greathouse, Quincy Porter, Jerome Bettis Jr., Jordan Faison, and Logan Saldate to throw the ball around.
As a sign of what ND fans can expect this fall, running back Aneyas Williams joined the group in Jacksonville as well. Like Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, Marcus Freeman and Co. will almost certainly use Williams in the passing game quite a bit this coming season. That he's working out with some of the team's best wide receivers and their starting quarterback is a great sign.
Most of the Notre Dame hype over the last few years has been about a defense that's among the best in college football. However, this year, with Carr entering his second campaign as a starting quarterback and so many receivers that should be among the best in the sport, hype for the offense is off the charts.
Carr got off to a rough start in his freshman season, losing his first two games with the Irish, but went on to get much better as the campaign progressed. Now, among those expected to be a Heisman contender, Carr finished with 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns, and just 6 interceptions. He did all of that while completing 66.6% of his passes as his squad finished the regular season with 10 straight wins before a College Football Playoff snub ended the 2025 season prematurely.
CJ Carr has Notre Dame football building offensive chemistry before fall camp
Williams had just two catches for 40 yards last year, though that can be chalked up to him being the third-string running back. By the time he got into the game, Notre Dame was usually running away with the victory. However, while he didn't get a ton of targets, his catches were for 15 and 25 yards, demonstrating the young back can turn a short reception into a long gain.
Among the receivers Carr worked with in Florida, only Jordan Faison saw a ton of action last fall. He led the team in receptions with 49 for 640 yards and 3 touchdowns. That makes this particular trip that much more important. Not all of the guys who went to Jacksonville will get on the field a ton this year, but they're still working out with one of the veteran pass catchers and the starting quarterback.
All of this comes back to looking like a Notre Dame offensive unit that wants to operate as a well-oiled machine even before fall practice starts. The receivers can get a better feel for how Carr throws the ball while the quarterback can get into a rhythm with his receivers, seeing how they go into and break out of routes, as well as understand their speed and running patterns. It's another sign of an Irish squad dialed in and ready to win it all.
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