Why did CJ Carr go to Notre Dame? Looking at the commitment status of 4-star QB
While Notre Dame fans are probably focused on Riley Leonard at the moment, CJ Carr might be the real future of the program. Carr was a four-star recruit in the class of 2024 for the Irish, who was the No. 6 overall quarterback in the class of 2024 and the first overall prospect in the state of Michigan, according to 247Sports.
CJ Carr is the grandson of former Michigan Wolverines coach Lloyd Carr and All-American Tom Curtis (both members of the College Football Hall of Fame).
Unlike some other student-athletes who choose schools close to their homes, foremost in Carr's mind was choosing a school far from home.
“I never wanted to go to school close to my hometown, I kind of wanted to branch out a little bit and Notre Dame was the perfect place," Carr said.
"It’s just always been like that. I remember mentioning to my dad a while ago like, ‘Wow, you went to the same school that you grew up in?’ It was never really appealing to me, honestly.” [via MLive].
He was also mesmerized by the program's campus.
“I went over for a spring visit, and it was just different, I hadn’t been anywhere like it. I fell in love with the campus, the culture and really everything Notre Dame,” he added.
After visiting South Bend, CJ Carr reportedly canceled his visits to Georgia, Alabama, and LSU. He committed to the Fighting Irish in September 2022. Carr graduated in 2023 but decided to join college football in the class of 2024.
Lloyd Carr on CJ Carr's commitment to Notre Dame
Having been the head coach of the Wolverines for over a decade, winning five Big Ten titles and one natty, one would expect Lloyd would've wanted his some to go to Ann Arbor instead of South Bend. However, for Lloyd, the most important thing was his grandson's happiness.
“I said, `C.J., what do you think?,’” Lloyd Carr recalled asking via AP News. “And he said, ‘Papa, I’m going to Notre Dame. His dad was standing there and his dad said, ’Hey, wait a minute. You got a lot of things to look at and think about.’”
“I told everybody, ‘If he’s happy, I’m happy,’”
His father, Jason, also attended Michigan, where he was a backup QB and met his mother. While in 2024 the starting position is for Duke transfer Riley Leonard, CJ Carr is a good backup to have. He could potentially battle for the starting spot in the next few years.