Kenny Minchey Embracing His Moment in Notre Dame’s Quarterback Battle
Kenny Minchey has patiently waited for this moment.
The Tennessee native watched Notre Dame bring in Sam Hartman and then Riley Leonard over the past two seasons. But now, in 2025, Minchey finds himself in the middle of one of the most closely watched quarterback competitions in college football.
Minchey admits it feels a little different, but his mindset remains unchanged.
“It's a little different, but just looking back, high school, middle school, little league, you're always the guy,” stated Minchey. “It's not that much of a difference. It's higher stakes here, playing at Notre Dame.
“It definitely felt a little better going out, like, 'Dang, I'm with the ones.' I try not to let that bring me up too high because I know if you play emotional football, it's probably not the best, so I try to stay level-headed throughout it all."
That said, Minchey is leaning on the experiences from the last two years running scout team. It’s the perk of showing patience as he’s seen it all going against one of the best defenses in the country.
“You're playing against the best defense in the country every single day, coming straight from high school,” Minchey explained. “It's a very hard thing to do, especially with then Al Golden and now Chris Ash. You're seeing different looks every day. Once you're in the fire, the more times you're in the fire, that's when you get better."
To win the job, Minchey knows it comes down to making plays and protecting the football. Do that, and trust follows from the staff and his teammates.
"I think you do that by making good decisions whenever you have the ball in your hands, which is every play,” stated Minchey. “Also, once you have a good day, stacking good days."
A quarterback competition at Notre Dame brings plenty of outside noise. Overreactions, good and bad, are inevitable, and comparisons between Minchey and CJ Carr will only grow louder.
But inside the quarterback room, Minchey doesn’t view it as him vs. Carr.
"I feel like it's mainly just preparing and also whenever I get out there just knowing whenever I get on the field I'm going to make the best of whatever I do,” Minchey said. “I hope CJ goes out and plays his best ad I also hope that I go out and play my best.
“It's not so much me vs. him. We're both trying to be the best us that we can be. It's less on me focusing about someone else and, trying not to sound selfish, but focusing on how I can be the best me I can be."
For Minchey, the noise might not be an issue as he deleted his Twitter and currently doesn’t have Instagram.
"I don't have Twitter, but I started to not like Instagram as much,” Minchey explained. “Just kind of delete that off my phone. That's really all the social media I have or had."
With no classes or no social media, Minchey is all ball all day, every day. And that’s what he wants.
“These days are so long,” stated Minchey. “We're not done until like 7:30-8:00pm. There is very limited time. I'm either staying late here, watching film, going over the call sheet or the plays we have for the next day, or I'm going to my apartment and sitting up in bed watching film, watching football."
That preparation has been noticed by quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli going back to the spring.
“Kenny’s always prepared,” Guidguli explained. “Kenny’s going to know the playbook. He’s becoming more vocal as a leader. Then, obviously, his athleticism gives us a chance offensively to get ourselves out of a jam, extend the play if it breaks down. He’s looked good.”
As for the decision, Minchey isn’t focused on it and his only request is that it comes before Notre Dame’s week one game against Miami.
"It doesn't really matter to me,” said Minchey. “Whenever it comes, I know the coaching staff will make a good decision."
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