Notre Dame has 'great peace of mind' with Steve Angeli, Greg McElroy believes

Notre Dame is one of many programs working through a quarterback battle over their spring ahead of next fall. However, while one option may be more talented, the other may have the foundation that the Fighting Irish need.

In joining ‘Andy & Ari On3’ to discuss the best quarterback competitions on Thursday, Greg McElroy made a case for Steve Angeli in South Bend with him working against CJ Carr. He thinks Angeli has more in-game experience, especially in a big moment as their backup in the College Football Playoff, that make him a more reliable option in that sense.

“Well, I think, I think you have a couple of things. One, I don’t know how anyone can disregard what Steve Angeli did in the Penn State game. And, frankly, every time he’s been on the field, the guy has been super efficient. And that, I think, gives me great peace of mind if I’m Marcus Freeman that I know what I’ve got in Steve Angeli,” McElroy said. “I know he’s super accurate. I know that my floor is going to be high because we’ve already seen him play in real games with real bullets flying. So I know my floor is high.”

Angeli just finished his junior season with the Fighting Irish having been their QB2 the past two years. He has, in that time, completed 72.5% of his throws for 772 yards, 10 touchdowns, and just one interception. That includes coming in for Leonard after an injury to complete six of seven passes for 44 yards, which led to an important field goal, at the end of the first half against the Nittany Lions in their semi of the CFP in the Orange Bowl.

Again, this competition is about veteran experience versus younger talent. It’s just whether Notre Dame wants more of the floor or more of the ceiling respectively between Angeli and Carr at QB1.

“Now, is my ceiling as high with him as it would be with CJ Carr? I don’t know about that because I’ve watching both those guys throw side-by-side and the more impressive arm is CJ Carr. But the most impressive arm doesn’t always win out. I’ve seen guys that can throw it a country mile that, that are backup quarterbacks to guys like Chad Pennington because they kill you with efficiency,” said McElroy. “I think it’s going to be fascinating to see where they go. I mean, CJ Carr, from just a sheer arm talent standpoint? Probably the most talented guy on the roster last year. But that doesn’t mean he was the best option for Notre Dame. The best option for Notre Dame was Riley Leonard. But Riley Leonard didn’t throw it as well as, probably, Steve Angeli if they’re just going to have a passing competition against air.”

This is a competition that many, including McElroy, expect to continue from out of spring ball and into fall camp. That’ll give them all the time they’ll need to see what their team needs more and which of the two better fits that, which might still mean Angeli.

“I think it’s all about kind of where the team is and where it could head but I think there’s a lot of things that factor into this decision for Marcus Freeman and I’m not sure that it’s one that is going to be made very easily as it probably stretches into the fall,” McElroy said.

“I think this thing is a long way from being figured out and I think anybody that is counting out Steve Angeli as being the starter next year probably just doesn’t necessarily understand the dynamics of the room.”