Notre Dame offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Mike Denbrock addresses media after a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in South Bend. MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK

Where Does New Quarterback Commit Teddy Jerrard Fit in Notre Dame’s Future Plans?

Originally posted on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI
By John Kennedy | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 10:11 AM ET

Recent Notre Dame quarterback commit Teddy Jerrard, a talented class of 2027 prospect, still has two years of high school football left to play before arriving in South Bend. That being said, when considering his future in the program, the discussion needs to start with Notre Dame's 2025 on-field results.

2025 Quarterback Competition Sets Tone for Jarrard

Regardless of who wins the 2025 quarterback competition between CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey, Notre Dame will have a first-time starter this season. If things go well and the starter shows incremental improvement trending upwards throughout the season, said player should theoretically start multiple seasons, laying a stable foundation for when Jerrard enters the program.

Noah Grubbs and the portal

Noah Grubbs is the quarterback of the 2026 Notre Dame recruiting class. While Grubbs is a solid player, there are real questions about his ceiling as a college prospect. This dynamic is why Notre Dame landing a player like Jarrard, who has very impressive sophomore film and is expected to continue to excel as he matures physically and mentally, is so important.

Could Jerrard challenge for the starting role early in his Irish tenure? It's much too early to guess, but should his development continue at the current trajectory, this isn't out of the question. Aside from a future of Grubbs and Jarrard, the Irish could always head back to the portal to thread the QB needle for a season if they need to build out a year of development for Jarrard before he's ready to be the starter.

Landing Jarrard was a major recruiting win for the Irish and will give Notre Dame flexibility, options, and a high upside prospect to work with in the coming years. As far as planning for a QB who won't be on campus for years, this is about as much foresight as can possibly be given to the most important individual position in sports.

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

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