What impresses Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman most about 'natural-born leader' CJ Carr

Marcus Freeman walked into the Notre Dame facility this offseason and found quarterback CJ Carr watching film. That’s not surprising in the slightest. The redshirt sophomore is a study-the-game junkie.

What he was studying, though? A little stupefying, at the least.

The tape wasn’t from any game in the 2025 season, his first as the Fighting Irish’s starter. It wasn’t even from any practices during his true freshman season, when he was fourth on the depth chart and a key contributor to a scout team that helped Notre Dame advance to the College Football Playoff national championship game.

It went all the way back to his first spring on campus, two calendar years ago, when he was much scrawnier and still a year and a half away from starting. Most quarterbacks throw that tape in the trash. Carr is not most quarterbacks. He’s focused not only on where he’s at but also where he’s been. Comprehending all there is to know about who he is and who he was makes for a sturdier foundation than that of signal callers who solely rely on the former.

“That’s the type of football player [he is],” Freeman said on the Always College Football podcast.

Freeman met with Carr weekly last season when Carr led the Irish to a 10-2 record while completing 66.6 percent of his passes for 2,741 yards with 24 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. His main message: “you’re only as good as the guys on the field.” Freeman challenged Carr to hold his teammates accountable — to run sharp routes, to make solid blocks, to see the field when the ball was in their hands. Carr, Notre Dame’s first non-senior starter since 2022, had no issue with that.

Understanding the essence of accountability is one of his best attributes.

“He is a natural-born leader,” Freeman said. “He has those intangible traits that some of the best leaders I’ve been around have.”

Freeman has complete trust in Carr as QB1 and everything that comes with that. But Freeman is a natural-born leader himself, so he still leaks words of wisdom to Carr every once in a while to keep the gears of guidance going.

“I always remind CJ, leadership is ultimately influenced,” Freeman said. “Your ability to influence the group you’re around, if it’s the same when you’re there versus when you’re not, there’s not much influence that you have. So he continues to influence the offense and the team in a positive way. He makes those guys around him better. And it’s also making him a better version of himself.”

Carr is deadly accurate and conducts himself on the field as someone who just plain gets football. He has an excellent idea of where the ball should go and when. He has the talent to pull it off. That’s all preferred, but if teammates aren’t looking to him as the guy who provides stability and steadiness for the entire team, let alone the offensive unit, the talent is for naught. Quarterbacks must be commanders in control.

That’s exactly what Carr has made of himself in short order. Notre Dame is a front-running national title contender due in large part to that manifestation.

“I’m really pleased with his leadership,” Freeman said. “I’m pleased with the work that he has put in and also the ability to drag those other guys on the offense with him to do the work that’s necessary.”