While there is excitement building for the C.J. Carr era in South Bend, concern is growing that Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman may not be too thrilled with the overall quarterback situation with the Irish.
Behind closed doors, Freeman and Notre Dame appear to have spent part of this offseason trying to secure a major addition at the most important position in sports.
According to reports, Notre Dame made a serious push to lure former Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers with a significant NIL offer.
While Ewers ultimately declared for the NFL Draft and was selected by the Miami Dolphins, the pursuit itself speaks volumes.
Ewers’ agent appears to have confirmed that Notre Dame was one of the programs to go all-in on the quarterback before he made the leap to the pros.
And that fact raises a compelling question: if Notre Dame truly believed in its existing quarterback room back in January, why pursue a transfer with a hefty price tag – especially one coming off a less than stellar season?
“The reality of it is the way the portal schedule is set, it was not possible for Quinn because he didn’t want to be talked to about the portal,” agent Ron Slavin told ESPN. “When they beat Arizona State on Jan. 1, the next game was Jan 10.
“If he was going to commit to Miami or Notre Dame, he’s going to do that while his team’s got a playoff game in a week? And his teammates are going to look at him like, ‘You’re going to another school if we lose?’ You can’t do that.”
At first glance, it might appear Notre Dame is firmly behind C.J. Carr.
With Steve Angeli now off to Syracuse, the path seems clear for Carr to take the reins. His only real competition is sophomore Kenny Minchey, a developmental talent with limited game experience.
The coaching staff has praised Carr’s progress and poise, but the timing of their interest in Ewers raises some interesting questions.
After a rollercoaster season at Texas that saw flashes of brilliance mixed with stretches of inconsistency – enough to spark calls for Arch Manning to take over – Ewers entered the draft with questions still lingering.
And yet, Notre Dame still valued him enough to reportedly offer a lucrative NIL package. That’s not the kind of move a program makes unless there are real doubts about its in-house options.
Publicly, the Irish have projected confidence in Carr. He’s a highly regarded recruit with a strong pedigree and big upside. The hope is that he can usher in a new era for the program.
It should be noted that Ewers has been one of the most underrated players in the country based on the level of disrespect he gets from some fans and analysts.
In other words, you can’t blame Freeman and the powers that be at Notre Dame for trying to convince Ewers to make a run at the national title with the Irish.
While some fans view the pursuit of Ewers as evidence that the Irish may not be thrilled with Carr’s development, that’s not necessarily the case.
What are your thoughts on Notre Dame trying to lure Ewers to South Bend? … Do you view the failed pursuit as a bad sign for the upcoming season???
