Patience Irish Fans & Trust Coach Freeman

The smell of fall may not quite perfume the air yet, but the sighting of NFL and college football camps gives us the light at the end of the tunnel. For Notre Dame fans, this season comes surrounded by a rejuvenated fanbase after a national runner-up playoff run...one that included the first major bowl wins of this century(yikes I know, typing that was rough). Coach Marcus Freeman stepped up to the plate, beating two Big Ten teams and an SEC juggernaut with a Hall of Fame coach in the postseason run. BUT! Freeman didn’t celebrate the first-time success; instead, he focused on one thing: how do we finish the job?

Well, that actually leads to the major question on the minds of all Irish fans: who’s up next? Why don't we know?

The last couple of years, the Irish went to the portal to fill out their QB position...from Jack Coan, to Sam Hartman, and finally to a leader who was perfect for the system last year: Riley Leonard. With Riley now in the NFL and fighting to make the Colts’ roster, Notre Dame flipped the script and looks within for their next QB.

The competition is full of talent, so before you start to worry this is a Drew Pyne type of situation, chill your roll. Both sophomore Kenny Minchey and freshman CJ Carr were 4-star signees and top players from their respective states. These two can ball, and we saw glimpses of that in the spring game earlier in 2025. We shouldn’t be worried about either one taking over this loaded Irish offense.

Of course, having an inexperienced QB isn’t the most calming thing heading into a season, especially one where you face a top-tier ACC and SEC team in the first three games. As camp kicked off this week (no pun intended, I swear), it was rocky beginnings for the youngsters, each throwing what have been quoted as catastrophic interceptions. Since then though, things have settled in, still we don’t expect to know the starter until later in camp. The belief is that both are doing what they need to do to be the guy this season.

One more wrinkle in this competition? Their contrasting styles...Minchey is closer to Leonard’s dual-threat mold, while Carr is more of a Brady Quinn prototype. He can scramble, but his arm might be the real highlight machine.

So what's the key this fall for fans? Be patient Irish fans!! Both guys can play. Whoever it ends up being will be behind one of the best offensive lines in the nation, alongside not only the best RB in the country but possibly the best RB group. Oh, and some pretty talented guys running routes as well. Social media may be in panic mode, with fans wanting the starter now or stressing that there isn’t one yet, skying is falling and all that ish. Breathe. Deep inhale. Soft exhale.

Both are ballers. Freeman had every chance to go to the portal with interest high after a championship game run in January, but he chose to ride with what we’ve already brought in. Let’s keep trusting Coach Freeman, and let him tell us when it’s time to name our 2025 starting QB.

Also, don’t forget...either way, we get to see Jeremiyah Love play football in just a few short weeks, I mean watch that clip...DAMN IM SO READY FOR NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL!!