CJ Carr
Notre Dame#39 overallScouting Report
CJ Carr is the face of the 2027 quarterback class conversation and the centerpiece of Notre Dame's offense. Football is the family business: his grandfather Lloyd Carr coached Michigan to a national title and his father Jason played quarterback for the Wolverines, and Carr plays with that pedigree stamped all over his game. A consensus four-star recruit out of Saline, Michigan, he redshirted in 2024, then won the starting job and started all 12 games as a redshirt freshman in 2025. He completed 66.6 percent of his passes for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns, and six interceptions, with his 9.4 yards per attempt ranking second nationally and his 168.06 passer rating setting a Notre Dame program record. The calling card is a compact, repeatable release; the ball comes out clean, on time, and catchable, throw after throw. He is a rhythm passer with advanced anticipation, layering back-shoulder fades and out-breakers with placement that sets up everything underneath. He changes arm speeds naturally, throwing with real touch to the intermediate and deep levels, and he will pull the trigger downfield, as the 54-yard strike to Jordan Faison at Stanford showed. No returning quarterback was blitzed at a higher rate in 2025 at 36.7 percent of dropbacks, and he answered it with 14 touchdowns against two picks versus five-plus rushers. Under pressure he resets his feet to a clean platform instead of bailing, and he took only eight sacks behind a quick internal clock. He is also demonstrably coachable, erasing a pre-snap tell the week after Texas A&M exposed it. The concerns are just as clear: he is a below-average athlete by NFL standards who creates little off-script, finishing 2025 with negative-15 rushing yards, and his light frame will get tested as pockets collapse. His arm confidence tips into arrogance, he leans on his first read too often, and sustained pressure at USC and Pittsburgh produced forced tight-window interceptions. The ranked-game split is the eval's fault line: s
NFL Comparison
Of his 20 closest coming out: 3 stars, 6 starters, 9 backups, 2 didn't stick.
Trent Green (pro comparison); Brad Kaaya (trajectory comp); Tyler Shough (trajectory comp)
Draft Movement
Down 22 spots since Jun 8
The Tape
Strengths
- Compact, repeatable release with the ball coming out clean and on time
- Elite rhythm accuracy and ball placement, set a Notre Dame record 168.06 passer rating
- Advanced anticipation, throws receivers open before the break
- Natural change of arm speeds with touch to the intermediate and deep levels
- Arm confidence to attack every window on the field and challenge vertically
- Poise under pressure, resets to a clean platform and took only eight sacks
- Handled the nation's highest blitz rate with 14 TD and 2 INT versus five-plus rushers
- High-end pre-snap diagnostics and field vision from boundary to boundary
Weaknesses
- Below-average NFL athlete who offers no threat as a runner (-15 rushing yards in 2025)
- Light 210-pound frame that NFL rushers will test as pockets collapse
- Arm arrogance leads to forced throws into coverage
- Stays locked on his first read too regularly instead of working full progressions
- Pressed under sustained pressure at USC and Pittsburgh, forcing tight-window interceptions
- Struggled against ranked opponents (6 TD, 5 INT, 6.3 YPA) versus dominance elsewhere (18 TD, 1 INT, 10.2 YPA)
- Only one year of starting tape, buoyed by an elite backfield drawing loaded boxes
- Creates little off-script and is limited to winning from structure
College Stats
2024 Notre Dame: 7 yds 0 TD 0 INT 100.0%. 2025 Notre Dame: 2,741 yds 24 TD 6 INT 66.6%.
College Market Value
Our model prices him at $3.45M on the open college market, built from production, pedigree, role and Notre Dame's program money. No credible deal has been reported for him this season.
The college fantasy model projects 17.0 PPG (QB24), after 30.3 PPG across 5 games last year.
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Measurables
Awards & Honors
Second-Team Freshman All-American (2025); Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year finalist (2025); Manning Award finalist (2025); Manning Award and Davey O'Brien weekly honors (2025)