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Notre Dame QB CJ Carr Is Not Related to Derek Carr

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Kevin Matthew Borba | Last updated Sep 13, 2025 6:51 PM ET

College football fans may be feeling older and older every season, as it seems every year a relative of a former college football legend pops up.

Whether it's Arch Manning at Texas, the nephew of former NFL star quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, or Texas A&M running back E.J. Smith, who is the son of legendary running back Emmitt Smith, the familar names are everywhere.

One name that is often associated with a successful quarterbacking family is that of Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr. The first-year starter and former four-star recruit completed 19-of-30 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns in his first-career start in the team's Week 1 loss to Miami.

Is CJ Carr Related to Derek Carr?

When most people see the last name "Carr" at quarterback, they are instantly reminded of Fresno State quarterback legends David and Derek Carr. Although they share the same last name and position, that is where the similarities stop.

The Carr brothers are from Bakersfield, California, while Notre Dame's quarterback hails from Saline, Michigan. He does, however, have two relatives who were once football royalty.

His grandfather, Lloyd Carr, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011 after a tremendous coaching career at Michigan from 1995 to 2007. In that span, he led Michigan to five conference titles and a championship in 1997.

His other grandfather, Tom Curtis, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005 after a tremendous playing career at Michigan from 1967 to 1969, where he was a consensus All-American and two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection.

In terms of the youngest Carr, he is hoping to lead No. 8 Notre Dame to its first win of the year, as the Fighting Irish will host the No. 16 Texas A&M Aggies. The game is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET and will air on NBC/Peacock.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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