One of college football's most highly anticipated battles for a "QB1" spot on the depth chart ended on Tuesday morning.
Redshirt freshman CJ Carr was named the starting quarterback for the Notre Dame's season opener against Miami, according to an announcement from the team.
With that news now official, redshirt sophomore Kenny Minchey will likely serve as Carr's backup.
Carr wins narrow position battle over Minchey
The timing of the Fighting Irish's starting quarterback announcement was unknown. As recently as Aug. 18, there was little separation between Carr and Minchey, whom many expected to be the starter.
"I think this battle is still very close," CBS Sports' Chris Hummer said on the "College Football Insiders" show on Monday. "I would say, talking to somebody over there, that both quarterbacks were a little inconsistent on Sunday. I think that's been part of the issue throughout fall camp. There have been some severe inconsistencies in play from both of them; CJ Carr has struggled with turnovers at times. I'm not betting on this, and I don't really feel like putting a favorite here, but I lean slightly toward Kenny Minchey, at this point, if I was going to choose somebody.
"There is legitimate indecision there because it has become too close to call in a lot of ways for the staff," Hummer continued. "The staff was expecting CJ Carr to take this job for most of the offseason. And the fact that they're in that position — where the guy that you expected to take the job hasn't really taken it, and a guy has really pushed him — does create some semblance of indecision."
Head coach Marcus Freeman and his staff have now come to that decision, with Carr in line to lead Notre Dame's offense.
Carr was rated by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals.com to be a top-50 recruit in the class of 2024. With Riley Leonard, now fighting for a roster spot with the Indianapolis Colts, taking most of the reps behind center last season, Carr appeared in just one game as a true freshman — a 66-7 win over Purdue on Sept. 14, during which he did not record any statistics — and elected to redshirt.