The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have named CJ Carr as the team’s starting quarterback for the 2025 season.
CJ Carr Named The Starting Quarterback At Notre Dame
Our starting QB#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/vFi9pxeMeg
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) August 19, 2025
Notre Dame has found its new QB1.
Head coach Marcus Freeman has picked Carr as the starting quarterback. Carr, a redshirt freshman, won the quarterback competition over senior Tyler Buchner, freshman Blake Herbert, and sophomores Kenny Minchey and Anthony Rezac. Minchey was viewed as Carr’s toughest opponent for the job.
Carr is the grandson of former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr.
Carr is a former four-star recruit who enrolled in Notre Dame in 2023. During the 2024 season, Carr appeared in one game.
Carr was behind starter Riley Leonard, who now plays for the Indianapolis Colts, and Steve Angeli, who transferred to Syracuse.
This will be the fourth consecutive season under Freeman that Notre Dame will have a new Week 1 starter. Buchner started in 2022, followed by Sam Hartman in 2023 and Leonard in 2024.
Can CJ Carr Lead Notre Dame Back To The College Football Playoff?
"What Marcus Freeman has humming there at South Bend is so impressive..
They have built such a fantastic culture"@MartySmithESPN #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/O3iimGW9ET
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 19, 2025
Freeman managed to do what Brian Kelly could not: bring Notre Dame to the College Football Playoff.
In his third year as the head coach at Notre Dame, Freeman led the Irish to an 11-1 regular season record, earning the No. 5 seed in the College Football Playoff.
After dominating Indiana in the opening round of the playoffs, Notre Dame upset Georgia in the Sugar Bowl to advance to the semifinals.
In the Orange Bowl, Mitch Jeter nailed a 41-yard field goal with eight seconds left to propel Notre Dame to a 27-24 victory.
Notre Dame’s magic ran out in the national championship, losing to Ohio State by a score of 34-23.
Due to their returning talent and favorable schedule, the Irish have an excellent opportunity to return to the playoffs.
The best thing the Irish can do for a young quarterback is to give him a running game. Notre Dame brings back a top offensive line unit and arguably the best running back in the country in Jeremiyah Love.
Notre Dame should have a top 15 defense in the country, which should keep them in every game this season.
The Irish, who begin the year at No. 6 in the AP Poll, open the season on the road at No. 9 Miami. After a bye week, the Irish welcome No. 19 Texas A&M to South Bend.
After the first two games, the Irish will be favored to win for the rest of the season.
If the Irish play to their potential and stay healthy, they will be 11-1 or 10-2 after the regular season.
