Notre Dame‘s quarterback room continues to generate headlines as the program looks ahead to the seasons to come. With Steve Angeli entering the portal, the competition is narrowed down to Kenny Minchey and CJ Carr, though Carr appears to have a slight edge over Minchey. The rising youngster is expected to take the reins in a highly anticipated season opener against Miami. His promising spring performance has provided HC Marcus Freeman with a measure of confidence. In 2026, they managed to earn an early commitment from quarterback Noah Grubbs. Oh, Freeman’s sight reached even beyond that. A new name in the roster is dishing some strong hope to Freeman and the Co.
Marcus Freeman is no longer happy being the crux of the story in 2025, he needs to be the story this time. A national title for the first time since 1988, in the program’s history, can only appease the drive he sets out with. With Carr possibly under the center and a roster riddled with talent, experience, and grit, 2025 will be their year in the bird’s-eye view. Last year, the concussions tested their patience. Jordan Botelho and Boubacar Traore are now back in good health, adding extra depth to the defense. But the Irish defense ended the year as No. 4 in scoring defense, allowing a mere 15.5 points per game. So, it’s the offense that needs some lookout, especially the QB room.
Knowing that, Freeman is actively pursuing the talents under the center for 2026 and 2027 as well. The school has eyes for Keegan Croucher, one of the top overall quarterbacks in the 2027 class. He’s been in contact with Irish offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock and quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli. He shared his thoughts about Guidugli, “It was awesome having a conversation with him. Again, throwing in front of him was awesome. You know, I think I might go back out during the summer, go to a camp, and throw in front of him,” the 6-foot-4 told during an interview with insider, Christian McCollum.
Croucher made trips to Michigan and Nebraska, Ole Miss, Minnesota, and Indiana this Summer. Now, the threat to the Irish is that he sees Michigan as a fit as well. He is pretty excited to explore what Coach Chip Lindsey has to offer. But he’s not rushing his decision. He is carefully analyzing all pros and cons of each school before making a final call. The Tennessee native made it clear that he will heavily lean on the relations he built with the coaches, players, and the culture with which he can thrive inside and outside the field. Had a very productive freshman year, throwing for 2,934 yards and 31 touchdowns with just three interceptions. He also has impressive arm strength. So, it’s not a shocker to find him juggling between a flurry of offers stacked on the table.
“We’ll see if you know what their plan is with 27 offers in the next couple weeks,” the quarterback said about his potential timeline of hearing back from the Irish. “I think the next couple of weeks, if not, I’ll go to camp and we’ll see.” Pinpointing the most appealing factors in his growing interest in the Irish, Croucher said, “[The] history, you know, the past developing QBs, Coach Guidugli and Coach Freeman have done a great job over there. Coach Mike Denbrock has done an awesome job. There’s a championship national-level team.”
The Irish’s pursuit of Croucher reflects their long-term vision and determination to secure one of the most promising quarterbacks in the nation to lead their offense for years to come. Freeman knows his ideals to pull the talents in.
Marcus Freeman has a firm vision of his school’s values and ideals
The NIL era often spurred the coaches to poach talent or lure them with a bigger paycheck. The most notable part is that they no longer consider it misconduct. The trend of bypassing each other in the recruiting battles has become more than a recurring issue.
But Freeman stands firm on his ethics. “We can sell the University, but at the end of the day, the young people want relationships too,” said the head coach of the Irish.
“But I’ve really tried to go to those places or see the young people that don’t realize they are Notre Dame kids, but to show them what makes this place so special. To show them the endless possibilities that Notre Dame provides.” Freeman spilled his theory and the intentional dose of the ‘feel home’ factor that the talents find hard to resist.
It will be interesting to see if they can win a commitment from Keegan, but regardless, Freeman’s recruiting vision keeps standing out.
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