What does CJ Carr have that other Notre Dame elite QB prospects lacked? | Chat Transcript

Eric Hansen: Welcome to Notre Dame Football Live Chat on a day when it actually looks and feels like spring here in South Bend.

First, some quick programming notes:

► On July 1, Tyler James and I made the move to the On3 network and blueandgold.com and joined some amazing teammates. It’s proven to be a great move for us and, I believe, for our subscribers as well. And if you’re a potential first-time subscriber, we have a great deal — 50% off your first year with an annual subscription. With that, you get all of our premium content, plus all the value you get from a national team of writers and content creators, as well as access to every team site in the On3 network and a full year of The Athletic. Check it out at: https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/join/.

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► The Third & Gold Podcast is available at all places where you find podcasts, as well as our YouTube Channel. On our most recent episode, we caught up with former Notre Dame wide receiver and author Matt Shelton. Our next podcast will drop Friday afternoon.

As far as this week’s chat …

Please include your NAME and HOMETOWN along with your question(s). No 17-part questions. No manifestos. And easy on the math.

Here are the rules:

Eric Hansen: If you just comply with the stuff about name/hometown, 17-parters, manifestos and simple math, I’ll waive all these other rules except no bare feet today.

Off we go …

Pat from Philly: Thanks as always for taking questions. Since Clausen, ND has signed 6 composite top 100 QBs: Crist, Kiel, Wimbush, Jurkovec,  Buchner, and Carr. In your opinion, why has Carr been so successful to date compared to the others? In hindsight, its easy to say that they were overrated based on physical tools that never developed, but I feel like that doesnt tell the whole story.

Eric Hansen: Hi Pat, and thank you. Let’s start with CJ Carr and work back to the other element of your question. There’s no question about Carr’s talent. But he pairs it with an incredible drive, incredible intelligence and incredible perspective from losing a brother at a young age and never taking anything in life for granted. Then you align that with the right head coach, perhaps the best offensive coordinator in college football and a QBs coach who is looked upon in a similar light. Now why did that not happen with the others? I don’t think there’s a common thread that links all of them. For Dayne Crist, the biggest issue was two major injuries that compromised him physically. I am confident if that didn’t happen, he would have been a star. To this day, he’s one of the most mentally tough, mature, complete human beings I’ve covered. I think with Gunner Kiel, he was coddled before he got to college and that hurt him when adversity struck. Brandon Wimbush was a breathtaking athlete who never developed the skills to be an elite passer.

Maybe would have eventually gotten there if they stuck with him, but Ian Book made it an easy decision to go that route and stick with it. I think there were elements lacking in both Phil Jurkovec’s and Tyler Buchner’s games that prevented them from being elite. And as good as Brian Kelly was with QBs at Cincinnati, there seemed to be a disconnect at that position while he was at ND.

Skip from Houston: Sorry to lose out on Lopati, but on to the next quarterback recruit. Peter Bourque seems pretty intriguing. I believe he is the highest rated quarterback we have offered, but I did not read his name until only a couple of days ago. What can you share with us about his (late) recruitment – and chances of our landing him? Thanks.

Eric Hansen: Skip, I had to resort to a phone-a-friend on this one, since I am not in the weeds with recruiting on a daily basis, more a bird’s-eye view. From BGI’s Mike Singer: Notre Dame is working behind the scenes on him and hosts Champ Monds this weekend. … What I can tell you beyond that is that Peter Boruque is a 6-4, 220-pound four-star QB in the 2027 class. He is ranked 87th overall in the Rivals Industry rankings and the No. 7 QB nationally in those rankings. He is from Hingham, Mass.,  Tabor Academy.

Matt from DC: Hi Eric! Do you have any sense if Leonard Moore will be asked to shadow the opposing #1 receiver every week like he did with Makai Lemon vs USC? I can’t help but think that would put the defense in the best position even if it means letting him cover out of the slot. One additional question about a newcomer I haven’t heard much about: how has Tionne Gray looked this spring? Does it look like he could develop into a true interior game-wrecker either this year or next?

Eric Hansen: Hey Matt! I don’t think that’s off the table, but the way things are developing at cornerback and nickel, I don’t think ND will need to or want to do it. We don’t have a full picture yet. Christian Gray and Dallas Golden will continue their battle at nickel, with the best-case scenario being having two strong options at that position. DJ McKinney, the expected starter at field corner, does not enroll until June. Khary Adams, a great option as a rotational player, won’t be healthy until summer. But new DBs coach Aaron Henry has all kinds of talent and options.

Michael from Chicago: Three-part QB question if you’ll allow it! 1) How do you anticipate the QB snap counts being divided up at the jersey scrimmage and the Blue and Gold game? 2) Will the QBs be live for contact at either? Wondering how the lack of healthy RBs for pass pro impacts the decision? 3) Time to put on your Eric The Magnificent hat: will a back-up QB play more than 4 regular games this upcoming season? Presuming Grubbs-Jarrard are some combination of 2-3 do you think they’ll keep both redshirts or if one is the clear-cut #2 would they be more inclined to go all-in to get game experience for the projected potential starter for 2027?

Eric Hansen: Hey Michael. Three-parters and way under the hypothetical 16-part max. We’re good. 1) I don’t think the reps will be the same in both of those scrimmages. There are advantages to playing CJ Carr in the jersey scrimmage more than you might expect, given we all know who No. 1 is this year. The reason being, HE needs to continue to get better. And there are other elements of the offense and defense that, as a coach, you’d like to see tested with Carr at the controls of the offense.

In the Blue-Gold Game on April 25, we may see less of Carr, and more of Noah Grubbs and Blake Hebert, because you’re trying to be a little more vanilla on offense in terms of what the outside world sees. 2) I am not sure there would be enough of a plus to make Grubbs and Hebert live and subject to hits in either scrimmage, given that the offense is not very zone read-intensive, so what do you gain? And you could lose a lot. 3) Wait, there’s an Eric the Magnificent Hat? Why is this the first time I’ve heard of this and could you let my kids know that this exists please? Hebert has already redshirted and I think preferably the Irish would like to redshirt Grubbs and Teddy Jarrard. If CJ is healthy all the way through 2026, I think there could be a rotation of QBs coming in late in one-sided games to make this work. My hunch is that either Jarrard or Grubbs will be No. 2 in 2026, but that doesn’t mean the one who emerges is automatically No. 1 in 2027, assuming CJ goes to the NFL

I think it might sound like I put on my Eric the World Salad Tosser hat on, but I don’t think getting experience for 2027 will be at the forefront of the thinking about playing backups in 2026. CJ Carr had four game reps the season before he started. Riley Leonard and Sam Hartman were very experienced QBs but not in this system. The last No. 2 who played a lot before becoming the starter was Tyler Buchner in 2021/22. And did it really propel him?

Ryan Frankfort Illinois: Ryan good afternoon Eric  how has the new kicker from Purdue looked GO  IRISH ☘️☘️🏈🏈

Eric Hansen: Hi Ryan, Saturday’s jersey scrimmage, which is open to most of the media, will be our first real look at Spencer Porath this spring. However, Marty Biagi, ND’s special teams coordinator, was asked about Spencer last week and Marty has been really pleased with Porath so far.

Jonathan in Addison, Texas: Eric!!!!! Would love your predictions on the linebacker rotation come fall. Can you see KVA or others rotating to DE on some snaps like Talich rotates to LB?

Eric Hansen: Jonathan!!!!! With the way Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is recovering so far, I am optimistic he’s going to be back early in the season if not ahead of that. With that being said, it’s hard to veer away from the five we saw last year — KVA, Drayk Bowen, Jaylen Sneed, Jaiden Ausberry and Madden Faraimo. I could see Faraimo getting a larger share of the snaps than he did last year. Could one of the Kia brothers make it a six-man rotation? Maybe, but I wouldn’t lean into that. I think they will be important pieces once the roster turns over at that position next season. I’m not sure if Luke Talich maintains that hybrid role when KVA comes back and Faraimo is back to full health, since they have those skills.

KVA was a much better pass rusher, IMO, than his Pro Football Focus grade in that category suggested. I think he’ll be a part of those packages. Now whether he does so lining up on the D-line on some downs and distances or blitzing, I’m not sure Chris Ash would want to reveal to the outside world. But with a new D-line coach in Charlie Partridge, I am going to assume there will be some tweaks in how KVA is used in pass rush situations.

Glenn from Seattle, Wash.: Hi Eric, In a very crowded Notre Dame media world, you are the E.F. Hutton of the beat—when you talk, people stop scrolling and listen. I’m curious—who else do you keep an eye on in the ND podcast/writer universe (other than your On3 colleagues)? And behind the scenes, what’s the dynamic like… is it friendly collaboration, quiet respect, or a full-on race to break news first? Do you collaborate before press conferences to make sure you don’t step on each other’s questions, or do you come prepared with alternatives in case your questions are asked before you get the mic? Also, do you guys ever get together off the clock to talk shop (or commiserate after a tough loss), or is it strictly business?

Eric Hansen: Hi Glen. I am literally blushing, but also curious which one of my relatives is sending you a check? Seriously, thank you. To your questions, keep in mind, I am answering only for me and not for the group. I think I am more an outlier in how I view things than the rule. OK, here goes: 1. With all of my responsibilities over all the platforms we have, I have very little time to consume others’ content. I try to keep up with my five colleagues at blueandgold.com. That’s a priority. Outside of that, I’ll listen or watch something I find interesting if I have time. Like the Bussin’ with the Boys segments from Notre Dame were outstanding. Not sure I will ever listen to them again, but those were good. Greg McElroy is probably the national voice I find most interesting. I respect him a lot.

As far as the dynamic behind the scenes, against speaking only for me, iron sharpens iron, and I’m lucky to have so many outstanding media members on this beat. It’s not universal. There are people who don’t have integrity and people who are not really on the beat but pretend to be by taking our stories and running them through an AI program to produce content. But let me stick to who is actually on the beat. We are competitive. It’s business, and yet there are a lot of opportunities to collaborate and help each other. And if someone needs help, especially during a difficult time, compassion trumps competition. But at least I have never checked ahead of time on what someone else is asking at a press conference.

It does help when everyone has good questions, because each of us only get two. I have a list of topics I hope we get to as a group and check those off before the mic gets to me. And then I ask the best two left on my board, so to speak. The last one about getting together and talking shop. I am probably more of an outlier here. Great people who would be fun to spend time with, but I prioritize family and friends …and new friends. I’ve actually met some people from this chat for beers or dinner. I do have friends in the media, but for life balance for me, It’s good to have some who aren’t and who don’t want to know about the football team 24/7. Now if that doesn’t cure your insomnia (Sleepless in Seatttle?), I don’t know what will.

Don in Scottsdale, AZ: Eric, All seems to be going well for ND this spring.  Fingers crossed it stays that way regarding injuries.  Just read an article in the NYTimes about the money floating around college football.  Reilly Leonard stated he made more money at ND than he makes with the Colts.  He stated the money is even better after he left. I don’t really care that the players can make some $ but is this sustainable?  I respect ND for making sure players need to be educated and I suppose some parents appreciate the education and the money, but it all seems like a race to nowhere.  Football has been great for the mission of ND but is this really good?  Might be better answered as a “thought piece” in the doldrums of summer.

Eric Hansen: Hi Don, and it is a very thoughtful question that I ask myself from time to time — where is all this headed? And I think that’s why there’s such urgency to try to bring more structure and sanity to the process through Congressional action. I think there’s been good that has come out of the new college sports model, but in excess, this could really be corrosive to the sports in time. I think one thing that Notre Dame fans can feel good about is how well Marcus Freeman can marry these new economics to values and culture that stay true to the Notre Dame mission. For now, at least.

Marie from Atlanta: Hi Eric, happy jersey game week. I am sure you’re excited to get to see the team play, I know I’m excited about the game and I don’t even get to see it. What are three things that if you see during the game, you will come out extremely confident that Notre Dame is a top three contender for the national championship? What are three things that if you see during the game, you will come out thinking, not there yet? Which three players on offense and defense are you most interested in seeing? Who is one player that before spring practice started was not even on your radar that you are now really interested in watching? Enjoy the game and please report back in great detail. Thanks for hosting the chat and all the insights.

Eric Hansen: Hi Marie. I wish you could watch it with us. But since it’s in the IAC due to the Luke Combs concert on Saturday night at Notre Dame Stadium, I’m not sure all of us will get to watch the scrimmage. That being said, there is NOTHING I will see Saturday that will confirm or deny national title contender status LOL. It’s way too early and way too many missing pieces. But I will go with the spirit of your question and try to answer it that way. Things that would be most encouraging … an offensive line that can move people off the ball, a promising pass rush and two backup QBs who look like they are showing signs they could win games if something happened to CJ Carr during the season.

Discouraging? A defense that looks like it can’t stop the run, problems at the nickel position, and all kinds of missed field goals. The good news is all of those are fixable. In terms of players to watch, Mylan Graham is my platonic spring football crush, but I am going to rule him out, because I know what he can do. What I want to watch are things I didn’t see previously, and that’s contact at full speed. So on offense, LT Will Black and RB Nolan James Jr., and then beyond that QB Noah Grubbs. On defense, DE Rodney Dunham, NCB Christian Gray and DT Francis Brewu. I picked these guys because they help inform the blurry parts of the bigger picture.

Off the radar to someone I want to watch? Freshman CB Ayden Pouncey. I have a feeling he’s going to be a really really good player for Notre Dame at some point, just not sure exactly when and where. At cornerback? At safety? At return? All three?

2581/Tony from Lexington, KY – in the heart of the Bluegrass – where my wife & I will get to watch Kenny Minchey lead the Kentucky Wildcats in 6 home games this season! I’m excited to see Kenny play against Alabama, LSU, Florida and others, but nor as excited as I am to see CJ Carr in person at 6 of the Fightin’ Irish games this season! Howdy Eric the Great ! May the Good Lord take a likin’ to ya ! Now for my football question — In looking over the list of the incoming ND freshman in the March, 2026 issue of BGI, I noticed that all of the WR (Faison, Finley, Fitzgerald, Frazier & Robinson) are from the South, as are both of the RB (Osborne & Walton). On the other hand, all of the OL (Garvin, McKeogh, Merrill, Nichols, Patrick & Thom) are from the North ! Just a coincidence? Or is it something that can be explained? If so, I reckon that you are the ND guy who can shed some light on the subject … Leave No Doubt ! ☘🏈☘

Eric Hansen: Hi Tony! Thanks for the great thoughts! This is a great question that I can give you a cursory answer to now and a much better and deeper one later. In general, when you look at all the positions, the states that produce the most talent are Florida, California, Texas and Georgia. When you look at offensive linemen, there does seem to be a more equitable geographical distribution. Now beyond this, some of the geography depends on relationships. Sometimes geography is cyclical. For instance, Chicago has been surging back into national relevance and 2028 may be a renaissance recruiting year there.

I plan to do a podcast from recruiting analyst OG Tom Lemming’s annual Chicago photo day event in May, as we did last year. We’ll have a bunch of recruits on as well as Tom and Peter Schivarelli. In that podcast, I’ll make sure we talk about this point. If I had a little more time, I could share where NG’s recruits have come from since the start of the Brian Kelly Era. Maybe next week I can share that.

Don in Scottsdale, AZ: Eric,  Thanks for your answer.  Freeman seems to be key to making this work.  I know he won’t be there forever.  The powers that be, need to be mindful of ND’s mission and make sure football enhances the mission of ND. It needs to be paramount when charting the path for NDFB.

Eric Hansen: It does and so does the missions of those other schools. What is happening now isn’t necessarily corrosive, but it is not sustainable in my opinion.

Jack from Strongsville, Ohio: Hi Eric. What makes Mike Denbrock a great offensive coordinator? Thanks for your great work.

Eric Hansen: Jack. I still owe you an email back on your other question and I am still trying to get a definitive answer for you … to this week’s question. I hope I can do this justice. Experience isn’t just about years, it’s what you do with those years. The 62-year-old Denbrock has used his to do all kinds of things and use them to make him better at being an OC.

He has coached every position on offense except running backs as a position coach. He’s been both an offensive coordinator and a defensive coordinator and he’s coached special teams. He can be uncompromisingly demanding without being demeaning. His relationship skills and instincts are off the charts. He knows how to not only respond to defenses, but to attack them. And I am leaving a lot of stuff out I’m sure.

Cassidy from Grand Rapids by way of Niles, Mich.: With the addition of Porter and Graham, which is awesome, does this mean it opens things up for Faison or takes away touches from him? CJ will spread it around. If the offense gets a groove will we see a balance over the course of the season if the passing attack is clicking the running game will have a field day. Lastly hiw have Keely and Grey looked on the other side of the ball?

Eric Hansen: Hi Cassidy. If I am Jordan Faison, I am thrilled to have the additions of Quincy Porter and Mylan Graham and the presumed full health of Jaden Greathouse, because it means opposing defenses are going to have limited resources to deal with Faison and fewer answers for him and the passing attack in general. So, while he may or may not again be the leading receiver, he’ll be a better receiver in a better offense if that makes sense.

I think I missed a follow-up on Tionne Gray earlier, so glad you asked about those guys. I will have a much better answer for you next week, as I will get to see them play at full speed and full contact for the first time this Saturday during the jersey scrimmage. What I have witnessed from them in drills is two guys who really look the part and who are buying into the growth they need to gain under new D-line coach Charlie Partridge to evolve into top-tier players.

For Tionne, that means refining his technique to take full advantage of his massive size and strength. For Keon Keeley, it’s meant slimming down and developing an array of 4-3 pass rush moves, not just a 3-4 bull rush. Expect the buzz about those two to be stronger in August than it is now, as they are in the throes of their respective growth spurts right now.

Jim from Springfield, Ill.: Thanks, enjoy these chats.  During spring scrimmages, if the QB is constantly dodging the pass rush it could be because the defensive line is really good, or maybe it’s because the offensive line is really bad.  The same applies to receivers and DB’s.  How do coaches (and sportswriters) determine which is the case?  And did they come to the wrong conclusion going into last season? Thanks.

Eric Hansen: Hi Jim. I enjoy them too and enjoy great questions like these. Your last one informs the rest … the Notre Dame coaches did not glean as much as they could have and should have going into the season with the way practices were structured. So, they made some serious tweaks. One aspect is not just running your own plays but surprising an offensive or defensive line with things they’re not expecting to see. That’s a better way to find your blind spots. From a media standpoint, it is more of a feel thing in evaluating the line positions than empirical data, because we’re lacking the context of knowing what the assignments are supposed to be.

As far as wide receivers and DBs, it’s a bit easier. You don’t need to have full contact to evaluate those matchups. And there are things about speed and route-running that don’t lie. I think those practice impressions tend to stand up more over time. But again, you have to have a large enough sample sizes. I have seen folks extrapolate a single catch on a video they saw on Twitter into a breakout season. Well that receiver may have dropped the previous three throws and the next two, so ….

Damian from Lynbrook, N.Y.: Gentlemen, of the new position coaches, whose unit do you expect to show/perform the best in the Spring scrimmage and why? And what has impressed you most about each coach?

Eric Hansen: Hi Damian. It might seem like there’s a whole bunch of us answering questions, but it’s just little ole me. Thanks for jumping in. … To your question, the three units with the new position coaches are D-line, linebackers and DBs. In the fall, I think all three are going to look very good. On Saturday, I think the linebacker group has the most missing pieces, so rule that out as performing the best. I think the D-line is vastly improved and still trending upward, but for me it’s the DBs. Why? Start with Leonard Moore, Brauntae Johnson (he now prefers that to Tae) and Adon Shuler with all kinds of depth around them and behind them. What has impressed me about each coach?

I’ve written stories about each one for more depth, including today’s: A little crazy from new DBs coach Aaron Henry might be exactly what Notre Dame’s secondary needs … but let me give you one quick thing collectively and then individually. Collectively, I like how all of them have coordinator experience, so they can see the big picture. Individually, Charlie Partridge is a master class in teaching technique and gets his guys to WANT to run through a wall for him. Brian Jean-Mary (LBs) builds credibility and maximizes potential by building trust and relationships and knowing the right buttons to push. Aaron Henry and the DBs, he’s unorthodox. He understands mindset. He’s very curious so he asks questions in meetings with other coaches as is a great role model, because he works to be better at his own game every day.

Howard from Plymouth: Are there any updates on transfer portal visitors for NDWBB, besides Brown, Hardy, and St. Rose? Any names that you’ve heard that can play post? I understand the financial constraints that come along with signing a top center, but they really need one to compete against the elite teams.

Eric Hansen: Hi Howard. This may be outdated by the time this goes to a transcript, which is why I saved it to the end. 1) Hardy plays center. Is she elite at this stage of her career, no. But she is an elite athlete who can dunk and defend with a lot of upside. 2) Teams in all sports play portal interest much closer to the vest that high school recruits. There is a competitive advantage, with the tight window, to not oversharing, financially and tactically. 3) And the net is not as wide as it is with recruiting, so you focus on the players that fit your locker room and your budget, and if you swing and miss, then you move on. This is not a team that needs to reconstruct through the portal like last offseason. It’s a team that wants to play uptempo, has a great recruiting class, has Hannah Hidalgo and wants to add some pieces to give it Final Four potential.

Eric Hansen: OK, that’s going to do it for today. Thanks for all the great questions. Thanks for not making me regret rescinding the no drinking rule. We’ll be back to do it all  over again next Thursday at noon ET.