Notre Dame hasn’t had a quarterback this hyped since … well, maybe ever. And that’s not me saying it. That’s Todd McShay.
The longtime NFL Draft analyst and former ESPN fixture dropped a heavy take on his podcast Thursday about Fighting Irish quarterback CJ Carr. McShay didn’t hedge. He didn’t qualify. He just said it.
“He’s the best quarterback Notre Dame has had during our lifetime,” McShay said. “I think he has a chance to be absolutely sensational. I think CJ Carr is tracking toward being a legendary Notre Dame quarterback.”
That’s a wild thing to say about a guy who hasn’t started a full season yet. But the hype around Carr has been building for a while now. He’s a dual-threat guy with a smooth arm, and the scouting reports already sound like they’re written for a first-round pick in 2026.
Two Big Chances This Fall
There are two things at stake here for Carr and Notre Dame. One is the Heisman drought. Tim Brown won it in 1987, and the program hasn’t had a winner since. If you want a quarterback specifically, you’re going back to John Huarte in 1964. That’s a long time to explain to recruits why Notre Dame QBs don’t get the trophy.
The other thing is bigger. National title. The Irish have been close under Marcus Freeman and Brian Kelly before him, but they haven’t won it all since 1988. That’s a lot of years without a championship for a program that expects them.
Carr gives them a shot at both. And not just a theoretical shot — people who do this for a living are already putting real money on him.
What the Scouts Are Saying
ESPN’s NFL analyst Jordan Reid wrote about Carr back in June. He pointed out the easy throwing motion, the beautiful spirals, and the way Carr’s eyes match his feet when he’s on schedule. Quiet lower half, all that technical stuff that gets draft guys excited.
But McShay is taking it a step further. He’s not just saying Carr is good. He’s saying Carr is different. Legendary different.
Riley Leonard was just in South Bend and he’s an NFL prospect. McShay is basically saying Carr clears that bar entirely and then some. Bold words for a program that’s been waiting on a quarterback like this for decades.
We’ll see if he delivers. But the hype train is already rolling.
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