Never Too Early: A Potential Lookahead to Notre Dame's 2028 QB Room
- Max Uretsky
- 5 hours ago
- 4 min read
When a team has an in-season QB competition, the old adage is that if you have two quarterbacks, you have none, but in the world of recruiting, the opposite rings true, and it is always the more the merrier.
Photo via Neimann Lawrence/IG (@ne1mannn)
After landing a commitment from C/O 2027 4-star Quarterback Wonderful "Champ" Monds IV last week, Notre Dame is also squarely on the radar of 2028 recruit Neimann Lawrence. The American Heritage signal caller is currently among the top 10 at his position in his class, and his continued improvement could have him cemented as a 5-star and must-have for any big-time program in pursuit of adding talent under center.
Lawrence displayed top tier efficiency as a Freshman, posting a 31 to 8 touchdown to interception ratio while adding another four scores on the ground. Ahead of his Sophomore season, he transferred to Miami Northwestern, where somehow his stat line became even more eye-popping, tossing 32 touchdowns to only one interception. Those numbers landed him on the MaxPreps Sophomore All-American team, and now his upcoming Junior season will be played at his third school in as many years, as he once again decided to transfer, this time to American Heritage.
A big-time prospect deserves a big-time film breakdown, so let's dive into everything I saw when going through his tape.
The Great: Lawrence's athleticism both inside and outside the pocket stands out right away. His ability to avoid defenders with quick feet while staying firm in the pocket is noteworthy. He has a solid frame that allows him to shake off would-be tacklers when they actually get their hands on him as well. He keeps his eyes downfield on the move and has very good accuracy with off-schedule throws. Lawrence has an effortless throwing motion, with the arm strength to push it 50+ yards downfield. He consistently hits WRs in stride when it comes to in-breaking routes. I was impressed with the way he uses his eyes to move defenders off their spot before delivering the ball, specifically on seam patterns, where he drives the ball as soon as he likes what he sees. A very underrated aspect of what I saw on film was his willingness to get down and slide in the open field as opposed to taking unnecessary hits. For young QBs with the type of athletic ability Lawrence has, it is sometimes hard to convince them not to overdo it once they break the pocket, but with Lawrence, he seems to understand his level of importance to his team and takes care of his body.
The Good: Lawrence shows a good level of anticipation on throws outside the numbers, where timing is everything. At times, he showed the competitive toughness to stand tall in the pocket and deliver throws with pressure bearing down on him. He doesn't quit on plays, and until that whistle is blown, he is a threat to make a play.
Things I'll be Watching Next Season: I think all in all, CJ Carr's play last season exceeded expectations, and it is the reason he is among the pre-season Heisman favorites entering his second year as a starter. But there were two plays, one in each of the first two weeks, that looked similar with very different results. Against Miami in the opener, Carr was looking to evade pressure and kept reversing field and drifting further and further back before eventually finding Micah Gilbert standing alone in the end zone for a touchdown. In week 2 vs Texas A&M, Carr attempted a similar feat by trying to spin out of trouble while moving backwards, but lost vision on the defender and ended up throwing an interception. I use those plays as examples because I saw some similar moments from Lawrence, where instead of cutting losses and throwing the ball away, he tried to avoid pressure in a dangerous way. It did not happen to come back to bite him, but at the next level, where everything is moving faster, those types of plays more often than not end with a negative outcome. It is one of the few things I am hoping not to see from Lawrence during his Junior campaign.
Lawrence's arm strength is not in question, but he does lack some lower-body torque, especially when pushing the ball vertically. With a little more hip drive, some of those deep passes won't hang in the air as much, and the WRs will be in a much better position to make a play on the ball. I am curious to see if that small element of his game shows some improvement going forward.
The recruiting train inexplicably continues to gain steam, and as long as Marcus Freeman is leading the way for the Fighting Irish, they will be in contention for the type of players that help win National Championships, and Lawrence has the potential to be one of those types of players. With CJ Carr's inevitable departure by 2028, the heir apparent quite possibly might not currently be on the roster, and even if he is, iron sharpens iron. Adding a player of Lawrence's caliber to the QB room would keep things interesting for a long time to come.
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