We are in the second week of August, and Notre Dame hasn’t settled on a quarterback.
The quarterback “battle” was supposed to be nothing but a foregone conclusion. Most fans expected CJ Carr to be named the starter by now.
But as Pete Sampson of The Athletic has reported, the coaching staff isn’t ready to make the decision yet.
The overriding concern would be that neither Carr nor Kenny Minchey is ready to be the starter in the season opener at Miami (FL). Last season’s run to the National Championship game could look like a blip on the radar.
Even though Notre Dame’s defense should be one of the best defenses in the nation, the Fighting Irish can’t get by with a quarterback who makes mistakes. It remains to be seen whether they can manage the schedule with the quarterback position serving as a game manager.
Of course, the flip side is that Notre Dame’s coaching staff could be withholding information to prevent the Hurricanes from preparing specifically for either Carr or Minchey, especially when you consider that the two quarterbacks have different strengths.
If that’s the case, all might not be bad.
If the Fighting Irish were to get off to a slow start, fans will point to the program’s inability to retain Steve Angeli. Angeli transferred to Syracuse and has already been named the starter.
The redshirt junior either didn’t want to compete or thought he couldn’t win the starting quarterback job in South Bend. As much as there might be some regret on Notre Dame’s part, there also could be some buyer’s remorse on Angeli’s end.
No matter who the starter is, Notre Dame was shaping up as a run-first, play-action offense.
The Fighting will lean on Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. Love and Price know they will be facing eight-man fronts all season.
No matter who wins the job, finding Jaden Greathouse and Virginia-transfer, Malachi Fields, is a must for the Fighting Irish to loosen up defenses and open up the middle of the field for tight end Eli Raridon.
As the two quarterbacks split reps with the starting offense, few have mentioned the possibility of Notre Dame playing both guys against Miami (FL).
If so, the age-old question will pop up.
Do two quarterbacks equal zero?
