Notre Dame’s Offensive Stars Who Could Challenge NC State’s Defense

CJ Carr

Notre Dame's freshman quarterback was thrown into the fire early in the season. Carr couldn't get over the hump against the Miami Hurricanes or Texas A&M, but had the Irish in a position to win both games. As the season moved along, Carr showed an increased confidence as a passer and a solid ability to run the football.

Through five games, Carr totaled 1,280 passing yards, 11 passing touchdowns and two interceptions, both of which came in the first two games of the season. He ran for a touchdown against Miami and recently had his season-long run of 28 yards against Boise State. His best performance came against Arkansas, when he threw four touchdown passes and led the Irish to a dominant victory.

While Duke's Darian Mensah might still be the best quarterback the Wolfpack have faced so far, Carr is certainly a step up from the Campbell Fighting Camels' two-quarterback system. Doeren and Eliot will no doubt dig into their bag of tricks to frustrate the freshman, but it might not be enough for such a talented youngster.

Jeremiyah Love

Love entered the season with hopes of being a Heisman contender, but a slow start ruined some of that momentum. The junior running back began to pick up the pace a little more over the last three games, rushing for 317 of his 444 yards in those games. He also scored two touchdowns in back-to-back wins over Purdue and Arkansas.

His combination of size and speed makes him one of the most dangerous running backs in the nation. He was only a freshman when the Wolfpack played the Irish in 2023 and carried the ball six times for 24 yards.

Given NC State's significant woes against the run throughout the season, Love could have a massive performance against the injury-plagued Wolfpack defense.

Jadarian Price

The Fighting Irish have a two-headed monster in the backfield. Along with Love, Price offers Notre Dame another dynamic option who can explode for big runs at any moment.

Price racked 356 yards and seven touchdowns through the Irish's first five games, averaging 7.4 yards per carry. He is slightly smaller than Love, but he packs a serious punch. Doeren has his players on high alert in regards to the pair of tailbacks.

Eli Raridon

NC State's Justin Joly won't be the only talented tight end in the matchup, as Raridon is off to a strong start for Notre Dame through the first five games. He proved himself to be a valuable chain-mover for Carr in the season opener against the Hurricanes, catching five of his nine targets for 97 yards. His 233 yards for the season rank third on the team.

His depth of target increased in the matchups against lesser defenses when compared to Miami. NC State won't offer much resistance in the secondary as the unit continues to recover from injuries.

Raridon hasn't been an elite run blocker in the eyes of Pro Football Focus, accumulating a season score of 56.7. While it's not a major vulnerability, it's one the Wolfpack could take advantage of in the right situations if the goal is to stop the run.

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