Notre Dame has finally reached a decision in their quarterback battle, naming CJ Carr the starter over fellow QB Kenny Minchey, who had been receiving some hype in recent weeks. Though, had Minchey won the battle, it would have provided some possible extra motivation for Marcel Reed, it's honestly a plus for the Aggies that this battle drug out for so long.
BREAKING: Notre Dame has named CJ Carr its starting quarterback🍀https://t.co/7oLko7pIHi pic.twitter.com/SRk86c5G2z
— On3 (@On3sports) August 19, 2025
There had been a lot of talk about Carr earlier in the offseason as the heir apparent to Riley Leonard, with his quality cited as a reason that the Irish were not going out and snagging another ACC standout from the portal at signal caller. However, given that this wore on for so long without a decision, it brings up some doubts as to just how good Carr may be.
If he's not all he was cracked up to be, and Reed has taken the steps that many in Aggieland expect, then A&M could have the quarterback advantage come September 13 in South Bend— something they were decidedly lacking in the opener last year. That could be massive in that matchup with how tight the window seems to be between these two teams.
Notre Dame finally names CJ Carr starting quarterback, raising eyebrows for Texas A&M fans
The real challenge for the Aggies in the upcoming game against the Irish will of course be their defense. With an improved A&M offense, however— especially at the receiver spot— they could outmatch the Irish defense to a greater degree than Notre Dame is able to outmatch the Aggie defense.
All signs right now point to that game being a low-scoring slog, and I'd be surprised if the teams reach a combined 50 points. You can't rule anything out at this point, but I think the script for that one— unless Notre Dame all of a sudden looks like LSU trying to defend the QB run game— lends itself to a defensive battle.
This length of a QB battle now should provide some confidence for the Aggie faithful. The Irish open with Miami before going right into the Aggie game with a bye week in between. A&M will play Utah State and UTSA beforehand, so they won't need to show too much either. This just adds another layer of intrigue to one of the biggest matchups of the early season.