As Notre Dame begins spring practice, a competitive quarterback race is unfolding under head coach Marcus Freeman. With Riley Leonard heading to the NFL, Freeman is shifting from transfer QBs to in-house talent: Steve Angeli, CJ Carr, and Kenny Minchey. After last season’s national championship appearance, the Irish face a demanding 2025 schedule, including early tests against Miami and Texas A&M.
Marcus Freeman Leads Notre Dame into a New QB Era
As Notre Dame kicked off spring practice on Wednesday, Freeman shifted his focus from last season’s College Football Playoff run to the challenges ahead. Since falling to Ohio State two months ago, Freeman has been in constant motion, balancing recruitment, staffing, and roster management.
“I’m excited. I truly love competition. I think it’s going to make all three of those guys better.”
A quick snapshot of the quarterback battle during @NDFootball‘s first spring practice:
Later, Coach @Marcus_Freeman1 said: “…I’m excited. I truly love competition. I think it’s going to make all three of those guys better.” pic.twitter.com/n3F62abw82
— Irish Illustrated (@irishillustratd) March 19, 2025
He further chimed:
“You take off one hat and put on another. That’s the reality of the profession of a coach, but a head coach is that you don’t have much time to recalibrate. You’ve got to move to the next thing,” Freeman said. “We’ve been obviously really busy from the end of the season until the first day of spring ball.
“It’s understanding what things you need to address on that day and the ability to direct your attention to those things that need to be addressed. I’m recalibrated enough, ready to go.”
Notre Dame’s offseason overhaul began with restructuring the recruiting department. Freeman appointed Mike Martin as general manager to replace Chad Bowden and added three new staff members, including former defensive lineman Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa as director of recruiting advancement. He also welcomed six transfers and 13 midyear enrollees while hiring two new assistants.
Managing the roster has been another challenge, especially with the impending NCAA-mandated 105-player limit. The spring roster lists 107 players, excluding 11 incoming freshmen and two graduate transfers (Fields and Ty Washington) set to arrive in the summer. This situation puts Notre Dame’s walk-ons in a precarious position. However, Freeman refuses to speculate on roster cuts.
“I don’t care if you’re worried about being on the 105, being a starting quarterback, or a backup freshman tackle. Stop wasting time on things that don’t matter,” he said. “The future’s uncertain, so focus on being the best version of you today.”
Freeman oversees his first true quarterback competition, with Steve Angeli, CJ Carr, and Kenny Minchey all receiving first-team reps. He remains committed to an open race.
KEEP READING: CJ Carr’s ‘Lightning-Quick Release’ Has Fans Fawning Over His Potential at Notre Dame
“We’ll name a starter when a starter clearly shows that he’s the best quarterback,” Freeman said. “I don’t want to put a timetable on it, and I refuse to do that.”
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