Marcus Freeman & CJ Carr’s Crisis Take a New Turn as Fresh Notre Dame Intel Puts Rivals on High Alert

Marcus Freeman is reloading his roster after a historic season at South Bend. If the Fighting Irish hadn’t made a few rookie mistakes, they would have lifted the trophy at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. However, the 34-23 loss reaffirmed and refilled their hunger to mend the gaps, heading into a crucial off-season. They have lost Riley Leonard as he ran out of his collegiate stint, but embraced a healthy competition under the center. After Steve Angeli left the house, it fell on two guys in the mix, CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey. Both of them showcased flashes of brilliance in the spring games. To avail their potential, we need to scrutinize the defensive line class depth. They got two gems on the edge, and it looked like a real jackpot.

At the end of the spring games, the defense looks pretty staggering. The homework has been done with grit and passion. The spring brought out the fruit. But can Notre Dame’s defense maintain the elite level defense they have been showcasing? A deep subject to debate. True Freshmen like Anthonie Knapp and Leonard Moore were thrust into damage control after injuries scrambled their group. A unique blend of returning veterans and the emerging newbies is striking a balance in the Irish D-line. Amidst all the old and new contributors, Freeman got too big of a couple of assets to lose.

Boubacar Traore mounted three sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception in only five appearances in 2024. The 6’4″ 240 240- stunned the fans and veterans as an upside pass rusher, the traditional Notre Dame weak point that misses out on the high-quality play more often than not. The way he excelled the instant leverage with his robust arm and knocked the left tackle right into the lap of the QB made him a real menace to the opponent. In another risky move, his extended arm goes close to the lineman’s facemask, sometimes resulting in a penalty.

On the other hand, Bryce Young, the ultimate physical freak, brings some versatility to the table. He scored multiple special team menaces as a freshman, scoring two blocked field goals and a blocked punt. If he works on himself a little and tries scratching the top end of the Irish potential. However, on the other side of the ball, there seems to be a horror story wrapped in a QB conundrum.

CJ Carr has not been officially named as the Irish starter for the year 2025, yet. But his spring performance put him a step ahead of the succession war. If he wins the job, Minchey will be the backup. Also, there have been talks about a position change for wide receiver Tyler Buchner. But regardless of all the experiments, the pressure will be on Carr if he suits up under the center. Can he carry the load forward without a solid offensive backup?

The offensive line has let go of a series of DLs. Gems like Rocco Spindler, Pat Coogan, Sam Pendleton, and Ty Chan – all left for the portal; “If they had stayed, Notre Dame would have, without a doubt, the deepest offensive line in the country,” Wojciak rightly evaluated the stance. However, there are still fireworks brewed up with Anthonie Knapp, Billy Schrauth, Ashton Craig, Charles Jagusah, and Aamil Wagner as the starting five.

They were as strong as a bullock. But for a first-time starter like Carr, it’s nothing but a dead trap: If any injury or any other inconveniences strike, there will be no room to escape. The covert offensive crisis can turn into a massive disaster if Freeman doesn’t treat it as a priority. We will see the rest once Freeman announces the main man of his QB room by the end of this fall.

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