CJ Carr has spent most of the offseason described as one of the best quarterbacks in the sport this coming season. However, one analyst believes the Notre Dame star is not just one of the best but the best, except for one other gunslinger. The analyst's belief that John Mateer is the lone quarterback Carr ranks behind should raise a few eyebrows.
Well-known college football insider Crissy Froyd put together her list of the Top 10 college football quarterbacks in the country and put the Oklahoma gunslinger right at the top of her list. Froyd didn't offer any explanation for why she ranked the quarterbacks the way she did, but she had Carr at No. 2 on this list.
Putting Carr that high at the top of college quarterbacks is far from unusual. The Notre Dame QB1 has earned a lot of praise these past few months, even if some analysts have said there are obvious things he needs to work on to take the next step for the Fighting Irish in his second year at the helm of what could be a powerful offense.
Top-10 college QBs ahead of the 2026 season:
— Crissy Froyd (@crissy_froyd) June 26, 2026
1. John Mateer, Oklahoma.
2. CJ Carr, Notre Dame.
3. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss.
4. Dante Moore, Oregon.
5. Julian Sayin, Ohio State.
6. Arch Manning, Texas.
7. Sam Leavitt, LSU.
8. Gunner Stockton, Georgia.
9. Jayden…
CJ Carr ranks behind John Mateer in bold Notre Dame football QB list
The rest of Froyd's list is pretty much in line with what other analysts have said, though there have been some who believe Trinidad Chambliss and Julian Sayin are higher:
1. John Mateer (Oklahoma)
2. CJ Carr (Notre Dame)
3. Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss)
4. Dante Moore (Oregon)
5. Julian Sayin (Ohio State)
6. Arch Manning (Texas)
7. Sam Leavitt (LSU)
8. Gunner Stockton (Georgia)
9. Jayden Maiava (USC)
10. Darian Mensah (Miami)
Mateer has a high ceiling, but he spent most of 2025 at his floor, making Froyd's suggestion that he's the best quarterback in college football rather surprising. Last year, he threw for nearly 3,000 yards (2,885) but had just 14 touchdown passes compared to 11 interceptions. Of those 11 picks, six of them came in two games, against the Texas Longhorns and the LSU Tigers.
Those numbers are a far cry from his 2024 campaign with Washington State. That year, he threw for more than 3,100 yards, 29 touchdowns, and just 7 interceptions. It's these numbers that have likely convinced Froyd he can rise to the top of the heap in 2026.
To be fair to the analyst, she's far from the only person who believes Mateer is ready for a big bounce-back season. CFB insider and former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray also believes the Sooners' signal caller will be one of the best this fall. However, Murray did hedge his bets more with the qualifier.
Meanwhile, CJ Carr went through his first season as a starting quarterback with Notre Dame, throwing for very similar yardage to Mateer (2,741 yards), more touchdown passes (24), and fewer interceptions (5). It bears repeating that Oklahoma's QB was in his fourth college season.
Carr certainly has some things he needs to improve on. Chief among those is the willingness to throw the ball away rather than force something or run around and waste time and yardage. However, it's clear that while some might deeply disagree with John Mateer being the best quarterback in the game, the Notre Dame QB being that high on the list from another analyst should excite Irish fans.
Add us as a preferred source on Google