Marcus Freeman’s QB1 camp is seeing a key development take shape. After the Blue and Gold game, the HC had said they were looking to cut one of the three contenders from that race. And, we’d figured that when Freeman made the decision, we would see the unfortunate player make his way out. However, things are not so simple, given how recent events have turned out. Steve Angeli has made an important career decision that has thrown things off track for Marcus Freeman a little. Does CJ Carr still have the easy road to secure that QB1 spot?
We were expecting the departure of a completely different person from the battle. The race between CJ Carr, Steve Angeli, and Kenny Minchey has now become a two-person battle. Carr has been the expected winner of the spot for the longest time. He will lead the offense of a team that is a rival to Michigan, which was coached by his grandfather, the veteran Lloyd Carr. In high school, he finished his senior year with a career-high 2,754 yards and 24 TDs, which is ironically his career-lowest. He was a high-prospect recruit and is ranked the No. 6 QB of the 2024 class. But now, having just one contender to defeat, is the job easy for Carr?
Tyler Wojciak of Locked On Irish shared in an April 18 episode how Minchey is putting up a good fight. “I was wrong about Kenny Minchey,” Wojciak said right off the bat. “I thought that Minchey was really talented. He’d compete hard for the job, but I figured he would finish third and potentially transfer out.” But he persevered through it all. “Well, that didn’t happen. Kenny proved me and a lot of people wrong, and I give him all the credit in the world for that, because he bet on himself. He could have left after the season ended in the winter portal cycle, but he didn’t. And it’s gotten him this far.” Minchey has played two seasons with Sam Hartman and Riley Leonard as starters. Now, with both of them gone, Minchey is not going to let Carr have it easy.
Minchey has “poise and mobility,” along with a nice release, according to Wojciak. Fighting Irish Wire noted from the spring game that he is “the best running quarterback” of the trio. He’s struggled with decision-making in the past, but has remarkably upped his game since. “He always had ability, but he was a little bit raw, but I think that Gino (Guidugli) has fine-tuned him, and now going into his third year with the program, he has made this competition real.” Minchey also has an experience card over CJ Carr, though it just has a total of 16 yards.
However, Wojciak still sides with the popular opinion. “I still believe CJ Carr is the frontrunner to be the next starting quarterback at Notre Dame,” he declared. But Minchey’s growth is going to force Carr to adapt to the new situation. “Does that mean he’s guaranteed to win the job? No. Kenny is absolutely capable of becoming quarterback one. And if Minchey is a guy who goes out there with the first team offense when Notre Dame takes on Miami in late August, it would not surprise me in the slightest.” This is going to be a tough battle that has already forced one contender to seek better hopes elsewhere.
Steve Angeli departs from Notre Dame
Steve Angeli had the most experience among the three. It was expected that Minchey would be the odd one out. Angeli was either expected to start or back up Carr. However, with Freeman’s plans of taking one of them out of the mix, Angeli wasted no time and made the best use of his remaining years of eligibility. He announced his decision to transfer on April 18, two days after the spring window opened. It was pretty unexpected to see him go, since Angeli, like Minchey, played two seasons with the Fighting Irish. And, he has 772 yards and 10 TDs from them. But Angeli, compared to Minchey and Carr, did not perform well in the spring ball and Blue and Gold game.
Now that he’s free from those pressures, there are some interesting names that are touted to be his landing spot for the next season. One of them is Tennessee, now that Nico Iamaleava is gone. That doesn’t mean that the Vols are particularly interested in him. But former QB Jarrett Guarantano tweeted, “Bergen Catholic to a team in Orange.” The former is the same high school from which Angeli graduated. Sports Illustrated also picks Tulane, Minnesota, and Purdue as other possible destinations for him.
Bergen Catholic to a team in Orange https://t.co/5UtJtSkz1l
— Jarrett Guarantano✞ (@JayGuarantano) April 17, 2025
With Angeli gone, it doesn’t entirely seem like an easy ride for the parties at Notre Dame. Both Carr and Minchey lack experience, and Marcus Freeman will really be taking on a gamble with these two. “I think it was the right move for both parties, but the jury is still out if it was correct,” wrote Michael Chen of Fighting Irish Wire. But what remains is that CJ Carr, who is still the popular favorite for the role, will have to put more effort into effectively sealing the deal for himself. Or, can the odd possibility of Minchey being QB1 play out?
The post CJ Carr’s Notre Dame Future Nearly Confirmed as Marcus Freeman’s QB Dilemma Forces Steve Angeli Into Tough Career Decision appeared first on EssentiallySports.
