Notre Dame believed to be trending toward surprise choice at QB

The quarterback battle for Notre Dame is set to come to an end shortly, and it might be a surprise considering how the national media predicted the race to finish.

Per Eric Hansen of On3, head coach Marcus Freeman is set to name the starting quarterback by Sunday when he meets the media.

The Irish are still letting the quarterback battle play out until then, but it appears sophomore quarterback Kenny Minchey is the favorite to start at Hard Rock Stadium against the Miami Hurricanes on Aug. 31.

Minchey has shown improvement in numerous areas throughout camp, and he has the edge on freshman quarterback CJ Carr in what is believed to be the final week of the competition.

“As of Wednesday, the line between 1 and 2 remained blurred,” Hansen wrote. “The tiebreaker may eventually go to Minchey, per the source, because of his ability to be a true running threat and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock’s preference to have that element to put pressure on opposing defenses.

“But he also has a preference for QBs who can transcend adversity, and the training camp phase was choreographed to test precisely that. While both contenders responded persistently in a manner that defies their inexperience, Minchey has been exceptional in that regard.”

Throughout the summer, ESPN writers such as Bill Connelly and Mark Schlabach have written as though it were a forgone conclusion that Carr would win the battle in training camp.

However, Minchey appears to be a natural fit for how offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock likes to scheme against a defense. He helped dual-threat Jayden Daniels earn a Heisman Trophy in 2023 and took Notre Dame to a national championship appearance with Riley Leonard.

The battle isn’t over, but the edge appears to be running Minchey’s way.