The starting quarterback job at Notre Dame was one of the most 'up-in-the-air' jobs over the summer. As the Fighting Irish watched Kenny Minchey and CJ Carr battle it out for the QB1 role, the world waited to see who head coach Marcus Freeman picked.
Right before the season kicked off, Freeman announced Carr had one the starting job and Minchey would play QB2, despite Carr being a freshman and it being Minchey's third season with the Irish.
Obviously, as it would be for anyone who dedicated their entire life to this kind of job, it would have been devastating news for Minchey to hear and for Freeman to deliver. However, a recent clip of the Notre Dame head coach delivering the news has garnered him nothing but even more love.
The way Marcus Freeman told Kenny Minchey he lost Notre Dame’s starting quarterback competition (and how difficult it was for Freeman, too) is a window into how compassionate of a head coach he is.
— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) December 16, 2025
“If it ever becomes easy, you might be in the wrong profession.”
(via @ND_HCTI) pic.twitter.com/N1o0eNGhgr
Marcus Freeman continues to earn love and respect
In the clip, which was part of Notre Dame's series on Peacock called Here Come The Irish, Freeman lets Minchey know that the decision wasn't just one of the hardest ones in his life, but that he has been in the quarterback's shoes and knows how much it hurts.
Freeman's passion and compassion while delivering the gutting news are exactly what college football needs more of and show exactly why players love him as a head coach so much.
"It was a tough decision to make because both of y'all deserve to start," Freeman said. "Right now sucks, I understand, I get it... It will pass, and I can't say anything right now to make you feel better, but I know when it dies down, there's going to be a point... where I look at you and say 'I told you.'"
Freeman referred to the journey Minchey was about to go through as "delayed gratification," which could have been the perfect way to sum up the process of playing a backup role to a young athlete.
Of course, Minchey decided to enter the transfer portal anyway when it opens in January, after playing in just five games, earning 196 passing yards and 84 rushing yards for one total touchdown. Meanwhile, Carr led the Fighting Irish to a 10-2 record and is set to become a star.
Carr finished the season with 2,741 passing yards for 24 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He also earned 33 yards on the ground for an additional three touchdowns.
Freeman's choice over the summer was undeniably difficult, but after the season had reached its conclusion, it is a little clearer that the Notre Dame head coach knew exactly what he was doing in August.