CJ Carr step right up? Wil it finally be Kenny Minchey time in South Bend in 2025? One thing is clear after the Notre Dame football program’s signing day press conference. Marcus Freeman isn’t looking anywhere but his won back yard for the starting quarterback next season.
Sorry, Anthony Colandrea and the dozens of other transfers who were hoping to follow in Sam Hartman and Riley Leonard’s footsteps. Freeman laid it out in no uncertain terms. And it’s a change in approach from previous seasons for the third-year head coach.
It’s also a good thing. Notre Dame football has landed a 4-star quarterback in each of the last two classes. Last year it was Carr. This year, it’s Blake Hebert (after Deuce Knight peaced out). Next year, assuming everything works out the right way, it’s Noah Grubb. It’s a safe bet that their luck with very talented high school quarterbacks would eventually run out if they made it clear those quarterbacks never really had a chance to play.
Notre Dame football staying away from transfer portal quarterbacks
It will be interesting to see how Freeman’s other approach with quarterbacks works out in the portal era. Though he might have some help with the new 105-player roster limit going into effect next season.
During the same press conference, he said he wasn’t going portal shopping for a quarterback and that he wants to have four signal-callers on the roster every year.
In 2025, that would seemingly be Steve Angeli, Minchey, Carr, and Hebert. But it seems extremely unlikely that all four of those guys will still be with the program come next fall. Granted, Freeman did add that he wants to shoot for four so that if one leaves, he still has three.
That means that the spring practices will be interesting for Notre Dame football. It will be an open competition for the starting spot for the first time in years. And a race to see who leaves when the race is over.