Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr isn’t getting swept up in the Heisman chatter, even if his name is already sitting near the top of the preseason conversation.
Carr, who spoke with Rich Eisen during Notre Dame’s national media tour this week, said the outside noise doesn’t carry much weight compared with what matters inside the program. The Michigan native is one of the early favorites for the Heisman Trophy, and if he were to win it, he would be the first Notre Dame player to take home the award since Tim Brown in 1987. But Carr made it clear his focus is on the bigger picture in 2026.
"No, not really," Carr answered when asked if he's hearing the Heisman hype. "You hear the things from the outside but to me what matters is the people in side of that Notre Dame football building and that they believe in me and count on me. The individual awards are just noise."
That team-first message has been reinforced by head coach Marcus Freeman, who is entering his fifth year in South Bend in 2026. Carr said Freeman’s edge shows up every day, not just on Saturdays, and that intensity has helped shape the standard inside the program.
"He's just as competitive, if not more competitive, than anyone in that locker room," Carr shared. "You feel it on game day as a fan, but we feel it in the building every day he comes in.
He's in the weight room early, he's in the office all day grinding tape. He's just a competitive dude that makes you want to play for him."
Notre Dame’s push this season carries an extra layer after the Fighting Irish were left out of the 2025 College Football Playoffs back in December. Carr said the program has leaned into the idea of "leave no doubt," and that message has been woven into the team’s preparation in every corner, including the weight room.
Strength and conditioning coach Loren Landow has helped drive that mindset, drawing on his background in the fighting world.
"Our head strength coach, Coach Landow, was big into the fighting game early in his career," Carr explained. "Sometimes he'll bring us in and say 'the best fighters never left it up to the judges' and in a way that's what we did last year. We left it up for chance and so 'Leave No Doubt' encapsulates all of that."
For Carr and Notre Dame, the message is simple: keep the attention on the building, keep the edge high, and make sure this season doesn’t end with any questions.
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