Plot twist in Notre Dame's starting QB competition?

CJ Carr may have been viewed as the default favorite to be named the starting quarterback for Notre Dame this coming football season, but the race between he and Kenny Minchey may be much closer than most have expected.

Minchey “could end up winning the job” over Carr heading into the 2025 football season, according to a report from CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz.

That would be something of a change in the prevailing narrative around Notre Dame’s quarterback competition, which saw Carr as the likely heir apparent to Riley Leonard after Steve Angeli transferred to Syracuse this spring.

But that was never set in stone, and head coach Marcus Freeman has seen that both Carr and Minchey get prolonged exposure running the first-team offense in camp.

And the results are yet to show much of an advantage for either quarterback.

Carr came to Notre Dame as a highly-acclaimed prospect, considered the No. 6 quarterback in the nation and the top player from Michigan, according to an average of the four national recruiting services.

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Minchey was the 14th ranked quarterback in his class, but brings an added dimension of mobility to the position and has more familiarity with Notre Dame’s offensive system.

On3 Sports’ Pete Nakos also revealed that several people inside the Irish program have suggested that Minchey has surpassed Carr in recent practices, with the former’s mobility being the potentially decisive factor in running the offense.

Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock has wondered aloud himself whether Minchey could end up taking the QB1 snaps for this offense come the 2025 kickoff.

“There is absolutely no reason why Kenny can’t be the starter,” Denbrock said of the quarterback near the beginning of fall camp.

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Whoever does inherit the position will have plenty of skill players around him to lean on, as the Fighting Irish return a very promising rotation of backs and receivers in 2025.

Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price comprise what could finish as college football’s most productive backfield this season after combining for 1,871 yards rushing a year ago.

Jaden Greathouse and Jordan Faison return at wide receiver, and the Irish scored a promising target in former Virginia receiver Malachi Fields, who surpassed 800 yards in each of the last two seasons.

Freeman is expected to make a final decision between Carr and Minchey after Notre Dame’s scrimmage this coming weekend, according to the CBS report.

Notre Dame debuted as the No. 6 team in the nation in the preseason AP top 25 college football rankings.

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