How They Stack Up: Notre Dame's Quarterback Room
This upcoming season, Notre Dame's quarterback room is in a very similar spot to other programs competing for playoff berths this fall, but their group of guys isn't getting as much national attention compared to some of the other schools across the country. For the fifth season in a row, the Irish will be breaking in a new starter at quarterback, but it's only the second time they will be going with a home grown recruit.
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In 2021, 2023 and 2024 the Fighting Irish elected to go with a transfer portal quarterback to lead the team's offense. In 2021, Wisconsin transfer Jack Coan was named the starter, Wake Forest transfer Sam Hartman was named the starter in 2023 and this past season Duke transfer Riley Leonard was named the starter and played one of the biggest parts in leading Notre Dame to the National Championship game.
Other schools have been in this boat in recent years as well. Oregon elected to go with Auburn transfer Bo Nix at the start of the 2022 season and he returned for his final year in 2023 before being drafted. The Ducks then got Oklahoma transfer Dillon Gabriel from the portal and was named the starter ahead of the 2024 season. Ohio State, the national title winners, got Kansas State transfer Will Howard out of the portal this past year who helped lead the Buckeyes to their first national title since 2014.
This upcoming season, it's likely Oregon will go with former UCLA transfer Dante Moore at quarterback who transferred in prior to the start of the 2024 season. Now, he has a year of development under his belt and will likely be the starter in Eugene this fall. Ohio State is in a similar boat and is electing to go with former Alabama transfer Julian Sayin. Sayin transferred to Columbus weeks after arriving to Tuscaloosa as an early enrollee true freshman. Despite being an Alabama signee in the 2024 class, all of his development has came with the Buckeyes.
A handful of other schools will be electing to go with an inexperienced or first time starter this upcoming season as well. Alabama will have a first time starter, Texas will be going with Arch Manning who only has two starts under his belt and Georgia will be going with Gunnar Stockton who only has one start under his belt (albeit in the AllState Sugar Bowl).
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Whether Notre Dame elects to go with CJ Carr or Kenny Minchey, they will be heavily inexperienced at the quarterback position and will likely be in a position where their quarterback room will be the least experienced almost every week in the regular season. It's ironic to think that when the post season arrives, the experience conversation at quarterback will possibly be a more even discussion than the regular season. In 2024, the Irish will go up against Carson Beck, Marcel Reed, Taylen Green, Maddux Madsen, Jayden Maiava, Blake Horvath, Eli Holstein and CJ Bailey to name a few who all have more starting experience than their quarterback room.
Regardless, Notre Dame is in a position to make another post season run, and they will be relying on a first time starter to take them to another playoff berth and another deep run. They're in a similar boat to other power house programs across the country and deserve to get some of the recognition that other schools are receiving. No matter who they go with, Mike Denbrock will have a high ceiling and extremely talented player lining up under center this fall.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
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