Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman can’t stop gushing about CJ Carr before 2026 opener

Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame are set for a solid 2026 campaign. Notre Dame has national championship expectations in 2026, and with CJ Carr back at quarterback, those expectations could be realized.

On Monday, Freeman spoke about the joy of coaching Carr, talking with Rich Eisen on The Rich Eisen Show.

“Oh man, you It’s almost like you create a player. And what does that mean? That if you want a competitive football player that’s a winner, that is a leader that prepares as he does, all those different things, and he’s gifted with ability, but I think the thing that you just mentioned is off the field he’s just the perfect individual,” Freeman said. “Nobody’s perfect, but he is such a great human being, and it’s a pleasure to coach him and be around him and to grow with him, and add on top of that, he’s a heck of a quarterback.  He’s making our team better. And as I told him, that’s his greatest responsibility. It’s not to throw touchdowns, win the Heisman, be a first-round pick. It’s to be the best leader he can be and to make his teammates better. Because if he does that, the rest of it will take care of itself.”

CJ Carr took a redshirt season in 2024, sitting behind Riley Leonard. He then competed for the starting job in 2025, winning the job over Kenny Minchey. He went 10-2 as the starter, passing for 2,741 yards and 24 touchdowns, while running in another three.

Notre Dame opens the season against Wisconsin on September 6 at Lambeau Field.

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