The longer the Notre Dame QB battle continues, the more it favors one signal caller in particular when a final decision comes

For the first time in quite a while, Notre Dame fans have to deal with a legitimate quarterback battle heading into the 2025 college football season. 

In one corner, you have redshirt freshman CJ Carr, once considered a borderline five-star player in the 2024 recruiting class, and considered the “golden child” by some. In the other corner is redshirt sophomore Kenny Minchey, an extremely talented quarterback who Fighting Irish fans have too often underrated based on his unique journey to South Bend. Each player brings a very unique selling point as the potential starter. 

From most Notre Dame fans’ perspective, this is a quarterback battle that felt like only a matter of time. Carr has been considered the front runner in the battle since the offseason began, having many fans in the Fighting Irish program, and even more in the media and fan base. Carr felt like the safe bet with his combination of recruiting background and talent, especially after a stellar performance during the Blue-Gold Game. 

Despite that, the battle rages on, and there is reportedly not much separation between him and Minchey. All credit needs to go to Minchey, who has not shied away from the pressure of the battle. Him being a bit more assertive of a personality has been a criticism of the Tennessee native in the past, and we are seeing that maturation before our eyes. 

We are less than three weeks until Notre Dame kicks off the 2025 season by traveling down to Hard Rock Stadium to take on the Miami Hurricanes. This is a battle of two top-10 teams, and could set the table for a great season on either side. It’s early on in the season, but that matchup is so important for each squad ultimately reaching their goals, and realizing their potential.

With deeper preparation for that game beginning soon, deciding on the starting quarterback is a major priority, and I expect a decision sooner rather than later, more than likely. The longer this competition rages on, however, the better it feels for Minchey. If Carr was the front runner that some portrayed (I don't think he was), there wouldn’t be this much of a need for the time to make a decision. 

Here’s the truth of the matter: Kenny Minchey has taken a massive step this offseason, and he has made this a legitimate battle. It’s a solid argument to say that Carr has been the slight favorite, but that could be dwindling. There is a much larger backing for Minchey, both in and outside of the program, than many realize. 

As the competition continues, the sentiment that Minchey could win out is becoming stronger and stronger. Widely considered a wildcard to pull off this upset, the playing field has become much more even over the last couple of weeks. I’m pretty close to fully predicting Minchey to win this battle when the decision day comes. 

Early on in this battle, all the pressure was on Minchey. He was the underdog, at least that was the perception was, and he had to battle to showcase that he belonged in the race in general. Minchey has done just that, and now has a chance to win it out in the end. 

The next few days are going to make or break this battle heading toward decision time. For the first time, you could argue that the pressure is highest on Carr. He went into this battle with the expectations that he would win relatively easily, he hasn’t, and now every rep is going to matter that much more.