Why CJ Carr Fits at Notre Dame
Notre Dame has landed a commitment from 2024 Saline (Mich.) composite five-star quarterback CJ Carr.
It’s a big deal and it might be more significant than that for Notre Dame as they look to find stability at the position.
And yes, Carr is stable. The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder is a general on the field, but also away from the field. It’s one of the many reasons the Saline star is the ideal for the Tommy Rees’ offense. Carr comes from a similar background as Rees as his family bleeds football, so it means something and perhaps a little more than most folks.
Of course, there will be ups and downs during his career, but Carr is more than equipped to handle it. Carr has faced adversity from a young age as he lost his brother, Chad, to DIPG in 2015.
He’s faced high expectations on the field as his father, Jason, played at Michigan and his grandfather, Lloyd, is one of all-time greats when it comes to college football head coaches.
Carr has put in the work and is set to soar up the recruiting rankings in the coming months and that’s a testament to him not settling just because of his family. If you spend five minutes with Carr, it’s easy to tell he wants to be a great football player.
The Michigan native also is a dynamic leader.
Before Thursday’s practice, it would have been easy for Carr to focus on himself as today is his day. Yet, he was the first one to the field and greeting teammates as they arrived for practice following the last day of school. It was hugs, daps and laughs for Carr - and it captured the attention of each one of his teammates.
The casual high-five before practice allows Carr to command the team when it’s time to work. Sure, Carr is the best player on the field, but his team follows his lead, which isn’t always the case with top players or quarterbacks. At the Under Armour Camp in Columbus earlier this spring, Carr quickly became the leader of the quarterback group, but it wasn’t hostile as he knows how to keep things relaxed.
Carr’s playful nature will only help him at Notre Dame as the pressure is as high as any in college football. The ability to keep things light for himself, but also his teammates might be the most underrated part of his commitment to Notre Dame.
Notre Dame has had quarterbacks show command and play well, but few have captured the room while not feeling the pressure of the fans or stresses that come with being QB1 in South Bend. And make no mistake, Carr knows when to flip the switch to be a killer.
On Thursday, Carr routinely was helping his teammates with tips and how to fix routes when things didn’t go as planned. He made sure to coach up the youth on the team and offered words of encouragement throughout practice, which is something not all quarterbacks his age do.
Carr is impressive.
No one can predict the future, but he certainly seems like the ideal fit for Notre Dame in more ways than one and it starts with wanting to be in South Bend more than most quarterbacks.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Vintage 1988 National Champs T-Shirt
