CJ Carr Shocks College Football: Notre Dame Freshman QB Earns Tom Brady Praise After 5-TD Breakout

CJ Carr has exploded onto the college-football scene, transforming Notre Dame’s offense and vaulting the Fighting Irish back into the national conversation. The red-shirt freshman has completed 67.6 percent of his throws for 2,275 yards, 19 touchdowns and only four interceptions through nine starts, a stat line that already places him among the nation’s elite signal-callers. HIGH-OCTANE NUMBERS Carr’s 83.3 Total QBR ranks inside the top ten of all Power 4 quarterbacks, while his passer-efficiency rating sits third nationally. Against Navy, the 6-3, 205-pound gunslinger shredded a snowy South Bend evening for 218 yards and three scores, engineering a 49-10 rout that showcased both touch and arm strength. WHY RECRUITING HYPE IS TRANSLATING 1. Lightning-quick release eliminates sacks and keeps Notre Dame ahead of the chains. 2. Advanced pocket feel belies his age; Carr is averaging 0.44 seconds less time to throw than last year’s starter. 3. An offseason spent mastering offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock’s play-action concepts has unlocked deep posts and seam routes—Carr averages 14.3 yards per completion, third in FBS. IMPACT ON NOTRE DAME’S PLAYOFF HOPES At 7-2, Notre Dame remains alive for a New Year’s Six berth, and momentum is building for a late playoff surge if the Irish win out against Pittsburgh, USC and the ACC title game picture. Head coach Marcus Freeman called Carr “the most prepared freshman I’ve ever coached,” adding that his film habits “set the standard for the locker room”. NFL BUZZ ALREADY STARTING Scouts at last week’s Navy game clocked multiple downfield throws at 61 mph—comparable to early-round NFL starters. If Carr maintains this trajectory, he could become Notre Dame’s first first-round quarterback since Brady Quinn. WHAT’S NEXT • Nov 22 vs Pittsburgh: Panthers rank 102nd in pass defense—another opportunity for Carr to pad numbers. • Rivalry trip to USC: A potential Heisman-spotlight duel in the Coliseum. • Postseason stage: An NY6 bowl would give Carr a prime-time audition for 2026 award campaigns. For now, CJ Carr isn’t just a freshman phenomenon; he’s the engine of Notre Dame’s revival and one of college football’s most searched-for names.