Notre Dame Football Position Preview: CJ Carr vs. Kenny Minchey in Intense QB Battle
The sun beat down on South Bend in late July, glinting off the gold helmets as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish took the field for another sweltering summer practice. But the real heat wasn’t from the weather — it was radiating from the quarterback room, where two young, fiercely talented signal-callers were locked in a high-stakes battle for the most coveted job on campus.
CJ Carr, the freshman phenom and legacy name in college football, walked onto campus with a cannon arm, a football IQ inherited from his grandfather Lloyd Carr, and the weight of expectation pressing down like a defensive lineman. With the poise of a veteran and the confidence of a Heisman hopeful, Carr had impressed early — quick releases, tight spirals, and pinpoint reads in 7-on-7 drills. Coaches whispered he was the most naturally gifted freshman QB since Jimmy Clausen.
But sophomore Kenny Minchey wasn’t interested in handing over the keys to the offense. The Nashville native, a former Elite 11 finalist, had spent the past year in the system, absorbing the complexities of Mike Denbrock’s hybrid spread attack. While Carr dazzled in flashes, Minchey delivered with consistency. His throws were precise, his decisions clean, and his command of the huddle impossible to ignore. He wasn’t flashy — he was efficient, unshakable, and sharp.
In closed scrimmages, the divide between them grew thinner. Carr’s raw arm strength showed on deep posts and sideline throws, connecting with Tobias Merriweather and Jaden Greathouse in stride. But Minchey answered, threading needles over the middle, hitting Rico Flores on intermediate crossers with perfect anticipation. One afternoon, with the offense trailing in a two-minute drill, Minchey engineered a 75-yard drive that ended with a laser to tight end Mitchell Evans in the back corner of the end zone — his third straight day leading a “game-winning” drive.
Head Coach Marcus Freeman has refused to tip his hand. “Both of these young men are elite,” he said during media day, his expression unreadable. “They push each other, they push our team, and whoever earns that job is going to be battle-tested.”
In the locker room, teammates are divided — not by politics, but by style. Carr is the gunslinger, a born leader who can make magic out of chaos. Minchey is the surgeon, calm under fire, with the cool mind of a champion chess player.
Rumors swirl that the first two games — against Northern Illinois and Purdue — could serve as live auditions. But one thing is certain: this is not a stopgap year. Notre Dame has playoff aspirations, and whoever takes the first snap at Kyle Field against Texas A&M in Week 3 will have earned it through fire.
Until then, every rep, every audible, every sideline adjustment counts.
The battle for QB1 is on — and it’s glorious.
