Tough 2025 opening has some analysts wondering about QB plan

The obvious plan for the Notre Dame football team next year is to finally move away from the model it’s used in the last few years. That is to say, it’s expected they won’t be be looking in the transfer portal for a quarterback. After back-to-back years with Sam Hartman and Riley Leonard, the idea is that Steve Angeli, or Kenny Minchey or CJ Carr will take over the starting job in 2025.

However, some analysts now wonder if things might change a bit, looking at how the early part of the schedule will shake out. Some eyebrows were raised when it was announced on Wednesday that the Fighting Irish will open the season with the Miami Hurricanes. 

The Notre Dame football team also plays Texas A&M and Arkansas within the first four weeks of the season’s kickoff. So might the Irish decide they want a QB1 who more career snaps that any of the guys that are currently on the roster? SI’s John Kennedy is among those who thinks the portal might be an option for at least one more season.

Notre Dame football reevaluating QB1 approach

“Does the fact that the schedule is so front-heavy now,” Kennedy wrote. ?Will Freeman and Denbrock feel as though they need a QB with a lot of experience to navigate this early schedule and remain in CFP contention beyond mid-October or will they trust and believe in an in-house option with very little or no starting experience?”

The question makes sense. However as Kennedy himself pointed out, at some point, it becomes hard to recruit college quarterbacks if a school looks like it will never allow them to compete for the job. 

It’s more likely if Notre Dame football looks for another transfer portal guy, that it would be someone who might be willing to tutor the young guys. There aren’t a ton of those guys in the portal, but it would be more likely than going after another Riley Leonard.