SOUTH BEND - Notre Dame is not treating the backup quarterback job as a finished product behind CJ Carr.
If Carr gets knocked out against Wisconsin, the Irish appear ready to lean on a freshman. Noah Grubbs, a January enrollee, and Teddy Jarrard, who arrived in June after reclassifying from the 2027 recruiting cycle, are both listed behind Carr in an either/or setup.
That leaves second-year quarterback Blake Hebert as the apparent No. 4 heading into Sunday night’s Sept. 6 opener at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Hebert missed part of fall camp for “personal reasons.”
“We have to have a backup that we know would go in the game in case CJ got hurt,” Irish coach Marcus Freeman said Monday Aug. 31.
“If you’re ever presented with the opportunity to get both of them in the game, you would love to. We did it similar with Kenny (Minchey) and Steve (Angeli) a couple years ago.”
Freeman was pointing back to the 2023 blowout of FCS level Tennessee State, when both Angeli and Minchey played. Counting mop-up snaps, the two also appeared together in games against Pittsburgh and Oregon State in 2023 and Purdue in 2024.
Those were all lopsided Notre Dame wins. The Irish took those four games by an average of 49 points, and they enter Sunday as a three-touchdown betting favorite over a Wisconsin team in rebuild mode.
“We want to try to get them both reps when we can,” Freeman said, “but we also have a plan that if CJ goes down who’s going to be the first guy in.”
Freeman has been clear since Notre Dame passed on the transfer portal last January that the No. 2 quarterback competition behind Carr would remain alive through the season.
“You have to make sure they’re both getting valuable reps in practice with the non-scout team and they’re also getting some reps with the scout team,” Freeman said. “It’s an ongoing process to develop those guys. That’s the biggest thing.
“Yes, you’ve made a decision so you’re prepared for the game, but how do we continuously develop those guys? That’s going to be an ongoing process throughout the season.”
Hebert, from Boxford, MA, originally committed to Clemson before flipping to Notre Dame in the fall of 2024. He turned in a strong spring game, going 7-of-11 for a team-best 103 passing yards and a touchdown in the 2026 Blue-Gold Game.
Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock said after that game that Hebert had made “tremendous progress.”
“I see a lot of signs of someone who understands our offensive structure a little bit better, understands how to adjust it a little bit better,” Denbrock said. “I like the direction that he’s headed in. He did some really good things throughout the spring.”
Still, it apparently wasn’t enough to keep two freshmen from jumping into the “Break Glass in Case of Emergency” role behind Carr.
In Other News...
Notre Dames First Wisconsin Depth Chart Leaves One Big Line Question
Notre Dames first depth chart for the Wisconsin game brought some clarity to the offensive line, and it starts with Ashton Craig back where the Irish want him most. After a season-ending injury derailed his year, Craig is listed at center again, giving the front a familiar anchor as the opener approaches. The chart also showed freshman Charlie Thom moving to tackle, another sign the staff is still sorting out the best combinations up front before the real test begins.
One spot remains unsettled, though, and it is the kind of opening-week question that can matter against a physical opponent like Wisconsin: right guard. Sullivan Absher and Styles Prescod are both in the mix there, leaving Notre Dame with one key decision still hanging as it finalizes the line. The defensive side of the chart offered its own clues, with starters and rotations including transfers and freshmen expected to play roles right away, but the biggest eyes will stay on that right guard battle until the Irish settle it. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Could Have A Dream Week 1 Matchup On Defense
Wisconsin is already signaling that it plans to challenge Leonard Moore when the Badgers open the season against Notre Dame, a notable stance given how quickly the Irish corner has built a reputation as one of the more difficult defensive backs to work around. Moore has piled up pass breakups and interceptions over his first two seasons, and Pro Football Focus has graded his coverage highly, which makes any opposing coach who is willing to test him worth watching closely.
Luke Fickell saying Wisconsin will not steer clear of Moore adds a little extra intrigue to a Week 1 game that already has plenty of it. Notre Dame has seen this kind of approach before, including from a former Wisconsin staff in 2021, when the Badgers kept attacking the Irish top corner and paid for it with interceptions. Whether this version of Wisconsin follows the same path could go a long way toward shaping how much of a defensive showcase the opener becomes. [Read more 🡒]
Al Golden's Bengals Reunion With Two Former Irish Stars Ended Harshly
Al Goldens arrival in Cincinnati had given Howard Cross III and Isaiah Foskey a familiar face in the building, but the Bengals roster trim brought a far less welcome ending. Both former Notre Dame standouts were waived as the team cut down to its 53-man regular-season limit, part of a wider effort to reshape a defense that struggled last season and needed more stability across the board.
For Irish fans, the connection made the situation especially notable. Cross and Foskey both came through Notre Dame with Golden involved in their development, which made the reunion feel like a natural fit heading into camp. Instead, the Bengals moved in a different direction, leaving two ex-Irish defenders looking for their next opportunity just as Cincinnati settled its opening-week roster. [Read more 🡒]