The Rise of the Notre Dame Quarterback Room
- Noah Wehby
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
After years of less-than-stellar play at the quarterback position, Notre Dame has finally set itself up for long-term success inside the QB room. Let's take a look at how Marcus Freeman has transformed this room.
Photo via Maysum Hassanali
Notre Dame has been a consistently strong football team for years now, but they have always struggled to find that game-changing QB. During the Brian Kelly era, Notre Dame had some solid players at the position, but they never had a QB that elevated a good regular season team into a championship contender.
Towards the end of the Kelly era, it was clear that the QB room was not up to Notre Dame's standards. This was an extremely frustrating time for Notre Dame fans. The rest of the team seemed strong at almost every other position, so why could they never have a QB good enough?
The problems in the QB room were given to Freeman when he took over as head coach, presenting him with a very challenging problem to fix right away. While it took a few years of bridge QB's and recruiting classes, it may be safe to say that Notre Dame no longer has a QB problem. With a huge uptick in recruiting success and player development in the Freeman era, there seems to be more than enough talent in the QB room right now, with even more on the way in 2027 and beyond.
Obviously, the talent in the room starts with the star QB, CJ Carr. The spotlight has been on him ever since he committed to Notre Dame, and during his first season as a starter, he did not disappoint. While he was still prone to mistakes, he looked the part of a future first-rounder. It has been a long time since Notre Dame has seen a quarterback who throws a ball as well as Carr does. He is a clear step up in the talent department, which makes a world of a difference. Carr is the elevator of talent that the program has been searching for. With him, the Fighting Irish could be a real threat to win the National Championship.
Carr is not the only player to get excited about when it comes to the future of the position. Behind Carr, Notre Dame has some real talent in the room that could have a chance to start or provide the team with real depth at the position in the coming years. Underclassmen Blake Hebert and Noah Grubbs had a very solid spring camp, showing many that Carr is not the only capable QB on the roster. While they both won't be able to start for Notre Dame in the future, it is good to have depth and healthy competition in the room. That has not always been the case in South Bend, a testament to Freeman's elite recruiting.
Speaking of recruiting, the long-term future at QB looks as exciting as ever. Teddy Jarrard, who reclassified into the 2026 class, looks to be the next in line to replace Carr as a potential elite-level starter. Jarrard has that wow-factor that can be hard to find. Ranked as one of the best QB's in the class, he is a precise passer with a beautiful throwing motion. Although he is not a dual-threat option, he does have decent athleticism that allows him more time to find players downfield, much like Carr.
Just recently, Freeman and company landed a big-time commitment from four-star prospect Wonderful Monds IV from Vero Beach, Florida. As another reclassified player, Monds IV will now be a part of the 2027 class. As a 2028 prospect, he was considered to be one of the top QBs in the class. While his ranking dropped when he made the move to the 2027 class, it does not change the immense amount of talent he possesses. As a true dual-threat, Monds IV is going to give offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock a very different look at the position. Standing at 6'2" and 225 lbs, Monds IV is a powerful athlete who can really hurt defenses with his legs. With this, he also has a big arm that has the potential to take the top off the defense. While he does throw the ball hard, he does put excellent touch on his deep balls, showing his versatility as a passer. While it is Carr's team after he beat out Kenny Minchey last off-season, Monds IV and Jarrard could have a very similar situation in their future once Carr heads to the NFL.
Notre Dame has come a long way from the days of Drew Pyne, Tyler Buchner, and Jack Coan. While those players had their moments, and some Irish fans may even hold those players in a special place in their hearts, they limited the ceiling of the offenses they were a part of. They were not players who could elevate the talent around them; instead, they were likely elevated by the talent around them. Now, Notre Dame is building a room full of talented players who give Denbrock and Freeman options. Carr is likely to head to the NFL after next season, but with the talent already in the room and with more coming in, Carr's replacement may not be very far behind.
Want the latest intel on Notre Dame football? Subscribe to Tribune+ and get access to recruiting and team intel from The Irish Tribune team, as well as access to our intel community, exclusive app, and more Notre Dame content: Subscribe here to support our independent journalism.
Follow The Irish Tribune on social media:
Liked this story? Subscribe to our mailing list and get every story in your inbox.
Check out our Irish partners:
TMPR Sports - Use code "IrishTribune20"Â to get $20Â off your officially-licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle here!
