Ever since CJ Carr committed to play for the Fighting Irish in June of 2022, the expectations around him have been high.
As a true freshman in 2024, Carr sat behind Riley Leonard and Steve Angeli but in 2025 head coach Marcus Freeman named Carr the starting quarterback ahead of the Irish’s week one game against the Miami Hurricanes.
Carr proceeded to throw for 2741 yards, 24 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions while adding an additional 3 rushing scores as a redshirt freshman in 2025.
That culminated in Carr being named one of Notre Dame’s four team captains for the 2026 season.
“It's a unique privilege for your teammates to have named you a captain,” said Carr. “I got to see Riley [Leonard] do it two years ago, and I got to see a bunch of great leaders do it this last year. So, being up in front of those guys and having them vote for me felt awesome. One of the best accomplishments I've ever had in my life.”
That has Carr leading the Heisman odds for the 2026 season per FanDuel Sportsbook as the Irish prepare to begin their season this Sunday against the Wisconsin Badgers at Lambeau Field.
So what does Carr need to do to begin his Heisman candidacy off on the right foot?
The answer to this question might become clearer when we look at the last five Heisman trophy winners and what they did in their week one debuts ahead of their Heisman seasons.
In 2021, Alabama quarterback Bryce Young brought home the Heisman trophy as he threw for 4,872 yards and 47 touchdowns.
As for his week one performance, Young threw for 344 yards and four touchdowns in a 44-13 win against the aforementioned Miami Hurricanes.
2022 saw USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams put up 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns through the air while adding 10 rushing touchdowns.
Williams and the Trojans started 2022 off with a 249-yard, two-touchdown performance in a 66-14 win over Rice
Former LSU Tiger and Arizona State Sun Devil quarterback Jayden Daniels brought the Heisman to Baton Rouge in 2023.
Daniels posted 346 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a 45-24 loss to Florida State to begin his Heisman season.
Colorado’s Travis Hunter reigns as the sole non-quarterback to win the Heisman since 2021.
The wideout and corner posted 7 receptions for 132 yards and 3 touchdowns while adding 3 tackles on the defensive side of the ball in a 31-26 win against North Dakota State.
Most recently, former Indiana quarterback and recent first overall NFL pick Fernando Mendoza won the Heisman as he threw for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns and added 7 rushing scores.
In a 27-14 win over Old Dominion, Mendoza threw for 193 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions while adding a score on the ground.
There's some variance in the type of week one performance that produces a Heisman season in recent years.
What seems to be most important for week one (and most weeks for that matter) is being a key contributor to a victory.
Carr posted six games where he threw for multiple touchdowns and no interceptions in 2025, so a performance like that in a win against Wisconsin in Lambeau would likely be in line with the most recent Heisman winners.
That also means that Carr needs to be in control of the offense and in rhythm with his receivers to hit the ground running against the Badgers on Sunday.
One connection Carr has to a recent Heisman winner through his offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock who was Daniels’s offensive coordinator in 2023.
Denbrock compared Carr and Daniels’ pre-snap ability.
“I think Jayden was really good at it, especially in '23,” said Denbrock “And I think CJ has really kind of taken that mantle, to be honest with you. He's as good as I've ever been around.”
Ohio State transfer Mylan Graham is one receiver that Carr believes can continue to take steps to be a threat for the Irish offense.
“Yeah, he's been really good for us as well,” said Carr. “Similar thing. Came in with a really unique understanding of football and how to play the game. Had gone through a couple years at Ohio State. Has learned an offense and is now learning a second one and has picked up on it super quickly. He's done an unbelievable job. We're looking forward to him just continuing to keep taking steps. You put the ball in his hands, and he's very explosive. He can do a lot.”
Another receiver Carr needs to be on the same page with is senior and fellow captain, Jordan Faison.
The pair are entering their second season together and Faison spoke about how important the continued reps with his quarterback have been.
“Yeah, it's great,” said Faison. “The connection throughout the summers and springs, fall camp. It's great, especially going into year two now. All of us are on the same page with CJ. We have that kind of connection. It's pretty good.”
When it comes to Heisman Trophy races, however, there’s usually a variety of strong contenders from across the nation.
Here’s a brief list of who else FanDuel has as Carr’s best competition and who they are facing in week one:
- Texas quarterback Arch Manning vs. Texas State
- Miami quarterback Darian Mensah at Stanford
- Oregon quarterback Dante Moore vs. Boise State
- Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin and wideout Jeremiah Smith vs. Ball State
As the season goes along, I plan on keeping tabs on Carr’s Heisman hopes and how the other candidates are performing.
For now, Carr simply needs to pick up where he left off in 2025 and build from there.
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