QB Storylines To Watch During Fall Camp
While it won’t be a surprise who lines up under center for Notre Dame when it takes the field against Texas A&M on Aug. 31, that doesn’t mean the quarterback room isn’t chock-full of storylines heading into fall camp.
Here are some storylines to look out for as the QBs take to the practice field this week:
Riley Leonard’s Health
It’s no secret the senior transfer will be the starting quarterback for the Fighting Irish come Week 1, but there are still questions regarding Leonard’s health.
Leonard suffered a high ankle sprain last September, ironically enough against Notre Dame, and he never fully recovered. He only suited up in two games the rest of the way, and a second ankle surgery has limited his time on the field since he arrived in South Bend.
Leonard himself isn’t too concerned about the ankle, though.
“I feel so good,” Leonard said. “I’ve never felt better with my confidence and body going through so much. I think mentally, it was such a blessing to go through all that because I have a different perspective now. I don’t take anything for granted after being through all those injuries.”
While the confidence is encouraging, Leonard’s health is still something to keep an eye on. Most of Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff hopes lie with Leonard and his ability to be on the field.
Not to mention Leonard’s X-factor is his ability to run and turn negative plays into positive ones. The Alabama native had two impressive performances on the ground of 98 yards and 56 yards against high-level defenses in Clemson and Notre Dame, respectively.
It’ll be interesting to see how head coach Marcus Freeman handles Leonard throughout fall camp and if his durability raises any questions in the coming weeks.
Leonard’s Comfort Within The Offense
Another storyline surrounding Leonard goes hand-in-hand with the one above, that being his inexperience with the offense and his new teammates. The ankle injury has kept him sidelined, for the majority of the winter and limited his time on the field in the spring.
Despite not being on the field, that doesn’t mean Leonard hasn’t spent plenty of time off the field with his new receivers. In June, Leonard had a group of receivers and quarterbacks, freshman CJ Carr and 2025 commit Deuce Knight, spend a couple of days with him in his hometown of Fairhope, Alabama, to form relationships off the field.
“That was something really special,” Leonard said. “I wasn’t able to participate in the winter and spring due to injuries. My biggest concern this summer was getting to know the guys on the field. I think I did a really good job of building relationships with those guys off the field.”
While the things you want to be seeing from your Heisman candidate quarterback are connecting on deep balls in practice, Leonard is finding other ways to leave his mark before getting on the field next week.
“But off the field, he’s the most humble and hungry,” Freeman said. “He’s obsessed with improvement, with information, and preparation. That’s something that I’ve gotten to know about him. He’s not easily distracted. Sometimes he’s oblivious to how good he is, which is great. He can tune out some of that outside noise.”
Avoiding the outside noise will be a useful skill for Leonard as he begins to gel with the offense. A few bumps in the road are bound to happen, but everything Leonard has done off the field should give you confidence he’ll find success on the field.
How Fast Does Carr Rise The Ranks?
If Leonard remains healthy, Carr isn’t going to factor into the Fighting Irish’s offense much in 2024, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay attention to him. An early-season injury to Leonard could see Notre Dame insert Carr into the QB1 conversation.
Carr ranked No. 41 in ISD’s Fab 50 for the 2024 class. He entered Notre Dame as an early enrollee, participating in bowl practices and receiving plenty of reps in the Blue-Gold game in the spring.
“Mechanically it looks like the ball comes out of his hand really nice,” quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli said. “I had to warm up with him a little bit because Riley was out. You go in there and he’s one of those guys in warm-ups where it’s like… buckle up. He’s going to be shooting at you pretty good.”
Carr is pegged to be the future of the position in South Bend, so how many competitive reps he receives compared to the other backups will be a good indicator of his progression and how soon he could line up under center.
“I think, as a true freshman, you’d never look out there and think ‘Okay, this guy just got here four months ago,’” Guidugli said. “He can really throw the ball. I think he has a chance to be a really special player.”
What Does Future Hold For Steve Angeli & Kenny Minchey?
Once again, there aren't many questions about who starts on Aug. 31, and with the arrival of Carr last winter and Knight next year, the future of the position looks bright.
So what does that mean for Angeli and Minchey?
Well, if Leonard goes down again in the short term, it’ll be a battle between them for who gets the job. Angeli appears to have the upper hand considering his performance in the Sun Bowl last season and how Guidugli talks about his development.
“He’s playing with much better anticipation, being able to recognize the defense pre-snap, knowing things like ‘Okay, this side might not be good, I’m going to have to get to the backside pretty quickly. Or understand this is a pressure look, where’s my best outlet for the ball,” Guidugli said. “That’s allowing him to play faster, which keeps us on the chains and keeps the ball moving, which is going to lead to us scoring more points.”
Minchey still needs to continue developing behind Leonard and Angeli, but the extra reps he received last season have certainly sped up the process.
“Kenny just has to continue to develop as a leader, with a sense of urgency as he and I talk about all the time,” Guidugli said. “From last year to now there’s been a tremendous amount of improvement there, and he’s going to continue to improve with the more reps he gets, so I’m happy with his development now and the way he’s throwing the football and the way he’s seeing the defense.”
Minchey has high-level arm talent and will continue to show that off in fall camp. It may just be a matter if he gets the chance to show it off on the field at Notre Dame.
“That’s the thing about Kenny, he’s a gunslinger,” Guidugli said. “There’s not a window small enough that he doesn’t think he can throw the ball through. Gunslinger. He doesn’t see a pass he doesn’t like. You like that, but you kind of have to harness that.”