“But honestly, it feels like we’re going to be stuck talking about the same thing until we get some clarity on who the top two are at the position. Until someone ends up in the transfer portal, which is now open until April 25th, it feels like it’s better to wait to discuss it again without talking in circles.”
I wrote this for 6 Thoughts this week knowing that a quarterback was going to enter the portal at some point in the next week. Steve Angeli is that quarterback, so we’re now officially down to a two-man race for Notre Dame’s quarterback competition.
Before getting into CJ Carr versus Kenny Minchey, a final tip of the cap to Angeli. Everyone should acknowledge that without him, Notre Dame isn’t winning the Orange Bowl and getting to the national championship game.
To come in cold in the middle of a drive during a two-minute situation with the Irish down 10 is the equivalent to pinch hitting with two outs in the ALCS. He didn’t just have to come out and advance the runners into scoring position. He had to do well enough to deliver points when Notre Dame’s desperately needed them.
He went 6 of 7, converted three third downs, and put them in a position to kick a field goal. They got the three points, came out swinging on the first drive of the second half, and we know how the game went from there.
Angeli also played really well in the Sun Bowl. It doesn’t matter who opted in or out for both Notre Dame and Oregon State that day. Many backup quarterbacks get thrown into those bowl games and are overwhelmed. Angeli played like he had started the entire season for the Irish.
That is him. He’s poised, accurate, and good enough to be a starter at several Power 4 programs. For 247Sports to have him ranked behind Jaden Rashada as an available transfer quarterback is ridiculous. I think Angeli can step in and be a solid starter for whatever program adds him.
That should tell everyone exactly how Notre Dame feels about Carr and Minchey. The floor is high with Angeli. The two contenders that remain had to play well enough this spring to overcome that. They did and now it will be a battle between them to see who emerges as QB1.
We can throw any available stats out the window when comparing these two. If someone wants to take spring game numbers or numbers from the scrimmage the previous week and point to that as why one is the best choice, then you’re doing it wrong. It ignores the context that we can and can’t see.
Someone misses their block and the play is blown up before a quarterback can go through his progression. A receiver runs a route at the wrong depth. One quarterback is playing with the ones against backups on defense and the other is playing with backups versus starters.
This is stuff I saw in just one scrimmage and the spring game. This is the kind of thing that was definitely going on all spring with three quarterbacks juggling reps, receivers and offensive linemen being out, and young players getting more reps in the spring than they’ll get in August. That will change in the summer with everyone available.
Both quarterbacks will get more reps in more comparable situations to allow the coaching staff to make the best decision possible.
Several people have already anointed Carr as the choice, but that was already the case heading into the spring. There were people only a few days ago that I saw arguing for Angeli, which goes to show how little good it does to claim anything at this point.
Minchey seemed to be the underdog for many going into this competition, but prior to the scrimmage we saw on April 5th, we had heard he was having a great spring. I felt he was clearly the best quarterback that day as well.
I don’t believe anything is close to decided yet and I’ve seen enough from both Carr and Minchey that makes me think they can become great players for Notre Dame this season and beyond. I also saw Minchey throw a regrettable interception in the scrimmage and Carr throw one in the Blue-Gold game. He also had an interception dropped in the previous scrimmage as well. Who is best at avoiding those should go a long way in determining who wins the job.
I like that they both showed the ability to turn negatives into positives in the Blue-Gold game, which is something that Riley Leonard was exceptional at doing. Minchey escaped the rush and scrambled for a first down on his first drive and also avoided this sack on a later third down. If he didn’t, then Notre Dame is kicking a 50+ yard field goal attempt.
Carr did a nice job escaping pressure here and getting a short gain instead of taking a sack. They ended up putting the ball in the end zone a few plays later.
Only Marcus Freeman, Mike Denbrock, and Gino Guidugli know how they are going to weigh all of the factors that go into making the decision between the two, but I do think that the dual-threat piece could end up being very important. Carr is definitely capable as a runner, but he’s not on the same level as Minchey in that department.
Since 2019, every starting quarterback for Denbrock has finished in the top-15 in EPA per rush. That’s out of all runners, not just quarterbacks. His quarterbacks averaged 10 touchdowns rushing and 50 first downs by running the football in those six seasons. It’s something to keep in mind because it’s been a significant part of the offense for Denbrock.
Notre Dame fans should be excited about the possibilities because whoever wins the job has a chance to be great. They will also be surrounded by a strong supporting cast on offense. These are two very talented players and it’s going to be fun to see which of them will emerge as the guy for the Irish in 2025.
Men's New Era Navy Notre Dame Fighting Irish Primary 9SEVENTY Trucker Stretch-Snap Hat
