The Notre Dame football team has some questions to answer heading into the 2024 season. Did they improve their offensive line? Can their defense maintain a high level of play once again? Can Mike Denbrock work his magic with the quarterback situation like he did at LSU with Jayden Daniels?
We’ll start with the most important question first, highlighting Denbrock, and the quarterback room. Quarterback Riley Leonard has transferred from Duke to the Fighting Irish, starting Notre Dame off on a good note – and that’s where we’ll begin the breakdown.
Riley Leonard
Leonard made the transfer during the off-season when the quarterback position became wide open for Notre Dame. Joining the Fighting Irish and newly-appointed Denbrock at OC, many fans are excited.
Two of the three seasons at Duke are small sample sizes of what Leonard could be capable of. In 2022, he played 13 games and threw for 2,967 yards with 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. That should excite Notre Dame football fans heading into the new year.
The Notre Dame coaching staff has said that the starting position is wide open and that there will be competition for it. However, Leonard seems to have already locked down the starting job.
Tyler Horka of On3 has stated “He’s a clear alpha in that room. And that’s another room, I mentioned the Notre Dame wide receivers feeling like they’re in a better spot than they’ve been in the last handful of years … You got a really, really talented good quarterback room, but Riley Leonard feels like the alpha in that room”.
The job hasn’t been given fully to Leonard, but it seems like it is his to lose during his senior campaign. We mentioned in our season preview that this could be another dominating year for the Fighting Irish, and it will start with their starting quarterback and offensive line.
Steve Angeli
There is very little data to go off of for Steve Angeli to push for the starting position over Leonard. With that said, if any opportunity arises for Angeli, the coaching staff will most likely be okay with him stepping in.
Angeli played eight games in 2023, where he played extremely safe, but well. He completed 33 of his 44 attempts, throwing for 504 passing yards with seven touchdowns to one interception. Angeli makes for a solid successor once Leonard leaves for the NFL draft in 2025.
What he lacks, however, is the running upside that Leonard possesses. Leonard is very mobile, and makes the Fighting Irish offense more dangerous. Now, that doesn’t mean Notre Dame would deny Angeli any opportunities in the future, but it will keep their future quarterback position open.
Kenny Minchey
Kenny Minchey came in as a four-star recruit last year. He’s started his career at Notre Dame well so far, showing good flashes during spring practices. Minchey could push Angeli for the starting role next season, or even as the backup this season.
He’s very raw in his role, however. Minchey had only two pass attempts last season. He completed both, but they occurred once the game was out of reach and starters were pulled. That hasn’t stopped the school from seeing his potential, though.
Players and coaches on the Fighting Irish have given Minchey the nickname “Gunslinger”, and it seems to be for a good reason. He’s confident in what he can do and no small window scares him. He has been able to showcase his skills and talents this past spring as Leonard has been recovering from his second surgical procedure.
CJ Carr
CJ Carr enters his first season of college football with Notre Dame as a four-star recruit. Carr was ranked 37th overall as a prospect. He was also named the top prospect in the state of Michigan by ESPN. Meanwhile, 247Sports had him ranked as the fifth quarterback of the class and the top prospect in the state also.
There will be a lot of work to be done for Carr to climb his way up the depth chart. With Minchey being the only future competition for him currently, his chances could skyrocket in the near future.
In the Blue-Gold Game, Carr threw for 165 yards and a touchdown while throwing no interceptions. The fans, coaches, and wide receivers were impressed with the small sample they got to see. It will be some time before Carr gets to show what he can do during a regular season, but Notre Dame fans should be excited.
