Notre Dame Notebook: Marcus Freeman Talks CJ Carr, Miami Prep

As Notre Dame gets set to open its 2025 football season at Miami Sunday night, head coach Marcus Freeman knows his Fighting Irish will do so with the least experienced quarterback at the helm in more than a decade. Redshirt freshman CJ Carr will become the first Irish quarterback since Everett Golson in 2012 (vs Navy in Ireland) to make his first career start in a season opener.  

Carr played all of four snaps during his true freshman season in 2024 and all four of them came in a September blowout win over Purdue. He earned the starting nod after a hotly contested training camp competition with Kenny Minchey and Freeman has noticed plenty of evidence during this week’s preparation that Carr will be ready for the moment when he makes his first career start Sunday against the Hurricanes. 

“I think that a lot of the things he's done in the past and since he's been here has told me he'll be ready for this moment,” Freeman explained. “Fall camp has told me he'll be ready for this moment. This week's been really good. He's done a really good job at doing what his coaches have asked of him to do. As I've told him, there's growing pains of elevation that every person has to go through, and it's never going to be how we dream about it. It’s never going to be how we perceive it. But I truly believe that we can expedite the process of getting better quicker, and that's just what I want him to know, like, you're not going to be perfect. There's growing pains you’ve got to go through some ups and downs to kind of figure out what being the quarterback at Notre Dame is all about.  

“I'm sure he thinks he has an idea, but he'll go, and I'm not talking about one game,” Freeman continued. “I'm just talking about a career. I'm talking about what this season will look like. So he's just got to do what he does best and that's he's an ultra competitive individual. He's a natural leader. Has extremely strong arm strength. He prepares his tail off. So, all those things are going to help him perform the way we need him to perform. But there's a lot of people around him on that offense, between the players and coaches that are also there to support him that he has to utilize and he will utilize. As I always say, he emulates the head coach more than anybody else in this program.” 

Field Conditions 

Rain has been in the forecast throughout the week for Sunday’s game in South Florida. There is another twist that could impact field conditions Sunday night at Hard Rock Stadium – another college game on the same field Saturday afternoon. Florida A&M will face Howard in the Orange Blossom Classic at 4:00 pm ET Saturday and then the Irish and Hurricanes will kickoff about 24 hours after that game ends. 

“We've been in communication, some of our people here in the facilities (with) people down at Hard Rock,” Freeman remarked. “And again, the confidence they have in their playing surface, in terms of being able to handle a certain amount of rain, and back-to-back games like this isn't something that's new for them. So, they're prepared.  

“Our guys will have multiple cleats if we need to,” Freeman continued. “We'll have cleats that have longer studs and cleats that have shorter ones, in case they want to change. Some of our guys changed cleats for the Orange Bowl. So, it's really just...I'm not worried about the game before. I'm not worried about the field surface.” 

D-Line Depth Chart 

When Notre Dame released its 3-deep depth chart this week there were just a handful of surprises. Two of them were redshirt freshman Cole Mullins and USC transfer Elijah Hughes in the No. 3 spots at the defensive tackle positions. Both flew below the radar during Notre Dame’s fall camp. 

“Those two have had a great training camp,” Freeman commented. “You talk about Cole, a guy that didn't get to practice a whole bunch last year because of some lingering issues from his knee in high school and I think he messed it up a little bit last year, but he's developed tremendously. He has really done a great job in practice, of earning trust. The same thing with Elijah. (He) transferred here in the spring, and is continuing to learn the system. Those guys are continuously working or practicing hard. We'll see what the role is in the game. But, I'm very confident during the game that they'll get their job done.” 

The Kickers

Marcello Diomede is listed as the kickoff specialist for Sunday’s game while North Carolina transfer Noah Burnette will handle extra point and field goal duties. Freshman Erik Schmidt, who is the No. 2 punter, was also in the mix during camp for either of those kicking roles.  

“Right now, Noah Burnette will be our field goal kicker at any distance, and Marcello will be our kickoff specialist,” Freeman explained. “Erik is a guy that has a huge leg (but) right now, the plan isn't to play him as of today. But we have a lot of confidence in that entire room. All three of those guys, and if it comes to a point where we feel like somebody might give us a better opportunity to make a field goal from a certain distance, then we'll do that.  

“It's a...we compete,” Freeman continued. “We obviously name roles for each week, but we also still have to compete, and we will do that. But we feel really confident (with) what Noah provides in terms of being able to make field goals from the distance that we will decide once we get down there. Then, we feel great about Marcello and his leg for kicking off.” 

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