Now that the Notre Dame football team has essentially cut its quarterback race from three to two combatants, head coach Marcus Freeman has made it clear that whoever loses the job might still find a way onto the field in big moments.
Freeman talked about his views of both CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey (who are the last men standing after Steve Angeli’s departure) during his Wednesday press conference to close out spring practice. In that PC he said that he would be confident if he had to roll either player out there to start a game and that at some point this coming season, they might both see action.
“Yeah, I could see us utilizing two quarterbacks in different situations,” the Notre Dame head coach said, before quickly making sure people knew that didn’t mean the QB battle would still be up in the air. “We're going to have a starter and then you'll have a guy that can help our football team win games.”
It’s not something Notre Dame has done much - or really at all - during the Marcus Freeman era in South Bend, but he knows that with Carr and Minchey, he has two quarterbacks who offer two very different strengths.
“If that means we have a special package for a guy, we will. But I am not a huge proponent of having truly two starters. That decision is going to be made when they help us make that decision.”
Carr is very obviously the quarterback who has the stronger, more accurate arm. Minchey offers an aspect the redshirt freshman, nor Angeli did. He has mobility that is comparable to (and possibly better than) Riley Leonard.
While it’s clear that everything is on the table for the Fighting Irish, what hasn’t been laid out yet, is when Freeman will decide who the winner of the QB race is. He’s not even saying when that winner might be declared.
“I don't ever want to put a timetable on that. Let's hope this is before the first game, but at the end of the day, I believe there has to be one guy that is the starting quarterback.”
With practices over, the Notre Dame football team will get some rest, then enter the summer training sessions and fall camp will be watched closer than they have in a few years.