Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has a dilemma at quarterback.
With quarterback Riley Leonard headed to the 2025 NFL Draft and Steve Angeli — the Fighting Irish’s top backup — likely headed to Syracuse in the transfer portal, the team will have a clear slate at the game’s most important position as they try to top their 2024 College Football Playoff run to the National Championship game.
Notre Dame Football: Marcus Freeman Responds to Steve Angeli’s Transfer with Clear QB Message
Angeli was the team’s top backup in 2023 and 2024, starting the Irish’s Sun Bowl victory over Oregon State in 2023, and appearing in relief duty for Leonard in 2024, including leading the team down the field on a 52-yard scoring drive against Penn State in the CFP semifinal when Leonard exited the final drive of the first half with a possible head injury.
Angeli entered the portal as a graduate transfer and was locked in a three-way battle for Notre Dame’s starter position, with freshman CJ Carr and sophomore Kenny Minchey.
Carr, the No. 4-ranked quarterback recruit in the 2024 class, is the favorite to take over Notre Dame’s offense. He threw for 170 yards on 14-19 passing with two touchdowns and an interception in Notre Dame’s Blue-Gold spring game.
Minchey was the No. 180 overall recruit in the 2023 class and has played four games in two seasons with the program. He threw for 106 yards and rushed for a touchdown in the spring game.
Now, faced with who will start, Freeman is committing to just one guy, nixing the idea of a two-man rotation.
“Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman is asked if there is a possibility of using both CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey in tandem.
‘We’re going to have a starter. … I’m not a huge proponent of having truly ‘two starters’. … I believe there has to be one guy who’s the starting quarterback,’” he said, according to On3’s Notre Dame football beat writer Tyler Horka.
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“I don’t know when it’s going to be,” Freeman said of a QB decision. “I mean, it’ll be when they kind of determine decisions need to be made, you know what I mean. I’ve always said, like, I don’t truly believe that coaches put a timeline. I think the players kind of decide, um, when decisions need to be made.”
“As soon as there’s a clear starter, we’ll name a clear starter.”
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