As many of you know, I tend to look at Notre Dame football through two lenses: the now and the future. That’s why I always do my “two-class” breakdown at the end of each recruiting cycle—it gives both you and me a clearer view of what could be coming down the road.
But when it comes to actual games, that same perspective still applies. There’s what’s happening right now—and what it means for what’s next.
I’m not a fan of hot takes based on limited information, especially when you’ve only had one spring practice to go off of. But you know what? I’m about to make a statement that might sound like a hot take, even though Notre Dame has only had one spring practice so far—but here it goes.
Yesterday’s practice, where we got to see just four periods, confirmed something for me: Notre Dame’s quarterback situation, both now and in the future, looks extremely promising. I don’t know who will be the starting quarterback in 2025, or who they’ll sign in the 2027 class, but I can honestly say I’ve never felt more confident about the quarterback position in a long time.
Watching Kenny Minchey, CJ Carr, Steve Angeli, and Blake Hebert toss the ball around was truly enjoyable. All last season, after watching practices, I often noticed that the ball came out of Minchey’s and Carr’s hands in noticeably different ways. That was still true yesterday, but we also saw Hebert show off some impressive arm strength too.
There was never any question about the arm talent, but what we’re seeing from both Carr and Minchey is their growth as quarterbacks. What stood out to me most from yesterday’s practice wasn’t just their ability to throw the ball—though I had ranked Carr as a Top 25 national recruit and Minchey as a Top 100 recruit, so we knew they could throw—but how they’ve both matured. They carried themselves with a level of confidence that was different from what we saw in the fall of 2024.
What I look for in a young quarterback is the confidence they exude—not just in how they throw, but in how they carry themselves. It shows in their walk, their focus in drills, their interactions with teammates, and their overall demeanor in practice. Having a talented arm is one thing, but throwing with conviction is another, and both Carr and Minchey showed that yesterday.
Angeli has always had this confidence since his arrival at Notre Dame. There’s no doubt he can handle himself in games. But watching yesterday’s practice reinforced what we saw last spring and fall: Minchey and Carr throw the football in a much more impressive manner than the veteran Angeli.
So, what does all this mean? Well, while I don’t know who the starting quarterback will be, and I don’t know if there will be a true quarterback competition, one thing is clear: if the decision is made for the right reasons, Notre Dame will have solid quarterback play in 2025, and it will only improve as time goes on.
Minchey and Carr are fighting for the role of the starter for both the present and the future, as both have at least three years of eligibility left. Whoever emerges as the starter will have the chance to become a star and lead Notre Dame to many victories. Hebert’s impressive talent and the commitment of 2026 quarterback Noah Grubbs are also positive signs for the future.
Fans will naturally choose sides—whether it’s “Team Carr,” “Team Minchey,” or “Team Angeli.” But the reality is, the margin for error at quarterback is bigger than ever before, thanks to the talent in the current room and the talent on the way. No matter what camp you’re in, all Notre Dame fans should be excited about the future of the quarterback position, because the struggles of the past have a good chance of becoming a distant memory.
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