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The 2025 offseason quarterback battle within the Notre Dame football program has been much closer than many anticipated. While redshirt freshman CJ Carr looked like the clear answer in the fall, sophomore Kenny Minchey has taken a late lead two weeks ahead of Week 1.
Many fans immediately pegged Carr as Riley Leonard's successor, but Minchey is the late favorite to win the job, according to CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz. The college football insider noted that Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman will soon announce an official Week 1 starting quarterback.
“It's starting to look like another quarterback — redshirt sophomore Kenny Minchey — could end up winning the job,” Zenitz wrote. “At the very least, Minchey — a class of 2023 four-star recruit with dual-threat ability — has emerged as a legitimate factor in this competition. Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman is expected to decide on a starter coming out of Notre Dame's scrimmage this weekend.”
The competition is a matter of inches, but Minchey has the “slight edge,” On3 Sports' Pete Nakos added.
Carr and Minchey both landed in South Bend as four-star prospects, but the former has had much more hype to his name. Despite neither having any meaningful college football experience, Notre Dame has consistently praised Carr over the last year.
Carr entered the offseason expected to compete with Steve Angeli, who served as Leonard's primary backup for the 2024 season. Angeli entered the spring transfer portal, implying that Carr had a firm grasp on the starting job. Yet, in hindsight, it could also have been due to Minchey gaining on them both.
Notre Dame entering 2025 college football season with lofty goals
Regardless of who starts under center, Notre Dame has a high bar to meet in the 2025 college football season. The Irish earned the No. 6 spot in the Associated Press' preseason rankings after finishing the 2024 season as the National Championship runner-up.
Whether it is CJ Carr or Kenny Minchey, the team's new quarterback will be tested out of the gate. Notre Dame begins the year on the road against No. 10-ranked Miami in Week 1. The game is one of two matchups featuring top-10-ranked teams in Week 1, as top-ranked Texas will begin the season against No. 3 Ohio State.
Even if Minchey wins the job, he will have one of the shortest leashes of any starting quarterback in the country. Just a few mistakes could have him pulled in favor of Carr, and vice versa.
