With Friday being the first day of spring practice for Notre Dame, there are bound to be some mistakes popping up here and there. Even guys now considered veterans like CJ Carr are going to mess up every now and then. That's one of the reasons offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock wasn't all that bothered when the Irish QB threw an interception early on Friday.
"He’s been chomping at the bit for like 3 weeks to throw the ball," Denbrock said after ND's first practice. "I knew exactly what was going to happen today when the ball came out. That ball was going down the field no matter what…"
The ball did indeed go deep on one of Carr's first passes. It landed smack dab in the middle of a Notre Dame defender's hands. The bright side was that Tae Johnson showed out all practice and the pick was just one of several plays he made as he looks to follow up on a breakout 2025.
Here’s a look at the best play of spring practice No. 1, courtesy of Tae Johnson.
— Drew Mentock (@AndrewMentock) March 20, 2026
He broke from just inside the hash to make this leaping grab and pick off CJ Carr.
pic.twitter.com/sXeWAFkZQw
Notre Dame football's CJ Carr threw a spring practice pick and Tae Johnson's diving interception was the real story
Carr was throwing against double coverage on a long fly pattern and Johnson was able to undercut the route and pick off the pass with a diving interception.Â
The safety showed a nose for the ball last season, recording four interceptions including two against Boston College. It looks like he's picking up where he left off.
Normally, that kind of throw might have earned Carr a chewing out. It definitely will if he's still underthrowing the deep ball like that in the fall. But for now, Notre Dame's OC has confidence in his quarterback knowing what he did wrong, settling down and being one of the game's best.