Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr during the Notre Dame Blue-Gold spring football game at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, April 12, 2025, in South Bend. MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Key To Early Season Success For Notre Dame in 2025

Originally posted on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI
By John Kennedy | Last updated Jun 25, 2025 1:55 AM ET

There is no "easing" into the 2025 slate

Notre Dame's 2025 schedule is incredibly front-loaded.

Before Halloween, the Irish will have faced Miami and Texas A&M, along with a SEC road trip to Arkansas, before hosting big brand slayer Boise State, and of course, yearly rival, for now, USC.

In the hotly contested battle for CFP positioning, the Irish cannot afford losses, especially multiple ones early in the season.

Everyone remembers the immense pressure the program was under after suffering a loss in week two of the season last year. Notre Dame had to be perfect the rest of the way to ensure a CFP spot.

The Irish pulled it off on the way to the national championship appearance, but it was a stressful grind and one that would be hard to replicate in back-to-back years.

Adding to the early-season stress, Notre Dame will feature a first-time starting QB they will have to protect and develop quickly. This dynamic is the key to the season.

1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ days until we kick off the season back in Miami #GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/lSVGkfWXQG
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) May 23, 2025

Mature parts of the program must step up

Regardless of whether the starting quarterback job goes to Kenny Minchey or CJ Carr, there will be a learning curve that will include some rookie mistakes.

Regardless of how good anyone thinks either one of these players is and will be, it'd be naive to assume it will be smooth sailing from day one with the tough early schedule.

The key to Irish success in 2025 will depend on the parts of the program that are proven to protect the new Irish quarterback.

The Notre Dame defense, offensive line, and run game will be the new QB's best friend early in the year. They have to be good enough to overcome and outplay some inevitable learning curve struggles of the new gunslinger.

LOCK IT IN!

https://t.co/63wJigRpZj #GoIrish ☘️ https://t.co/ubNvkWZiFC pic.twitter.com/Ez7k2ZKtB3
— The Fighting Irish (@FightingIrish) January 31, 2025

If these units can pull their weight and a bit extra, it will take the pressure off the new QB and allow him to grow without the weight of the world on his shoulders early in the year.

This will put Notre Dame in a position to be peaking throughout the back half of the schedule, which is lighter competition-wise and will then feature a signal-caller with the experience to lean on.

For more Irish news & notes, follow John on Twitter @alwaysirishINC, Always Irish on Youtube and on your preferred audio podcast provider.

This article first appeared on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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