Relationships, culture fit led elite 2024 QB CJ Carr to Notre Dame

CJ Carr hated Notre Dame growing up. As the grandson of legendary Michigan coach Lloyd Carr and the son of former Wolverines quarterback Jason Carr, CJ had love for only one school. And definitely not for UM’s rival.

Despite growing up in a house that bled Maize and Blue, Carr — the No. 23 prospect in the 2024 On3 Consensus — committed to Notre Dame over Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Georgia and a laundry list of others Thursday.

The chance to do something on his own, along with the relationships he has made with Notre Dame’s staff over the past year, made the Fighting Irish too good to pass up.

“Michigan has always been in my family,” Carr told On3. “I will always have that connection, but I wanted to go further from home. … It flipped 180 degrees from when I was a kid. I used to hate Notre Dame, and now I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

Carr’s first time on campus at Notre Dame was last summer

Carr camped at Notre Dame last summer for the first time, when the program was led by former head coach Brian Kelly. That was his first time on campus as a recruit, but he has no real connection to the coaching staff leading up to it. But the Irish extended him an offer, and he started building a relationship with offensive coordinator Tommy Rees.

Fast forward six months, and Kelly left South Bend to take the Notre Dame job. In the process, he tried to bring Rees along, who ultimately decided to stay with the Irish and newly promoted head man Marcus Freeman.

“It really started last summer,” Carr said. “Working with Coach Rees in the camp, walking around campus, and seeing the culture at Notre Dame got things started last year.”

Rees and Freeman have made him their top priority at the position since, and he made it back to campus for a few more unofficial visits. Each trip cemented in his mind what kind of program he’d be joining and what kind of leader he’d be playing for.

“His leadership sets him apart,” Carr added. “When you hear Coach Freeman speak, you are inspired. I am ready to run through a brick wall for him. That is how inspiring he is. He is going to be great. … He cares about this program. You can hear it in his voice. Coach Freeman wants the best for this program, he wanted Notre Dame to win a championship, and he is ready to do whatever it takes to get it done.

Last visit sealed the deal

His most recent trip before this weekend allowed him to see the Irish during spring practice, and he knew when he left South Bend that he’d found the school he wanted to play for. Rees and Freeman both made him feel like he was their No. 1 priority, and spending more time with them only reinforced that.

“On that visit, they really made me feel like a priority,” Carr said. “They have been a priority for me for a long time too, so that combination pushed my decision up to now. I knew it was Notre Dame for sure on that last visit. I was ready to commit when we were there. My dad wanted me to wait, be patient, and visit other schools. But I think eventually, he just got tired of me telling him that I was going to Notre Dame.”

Carr was supposed to take visits to a number of SEC schools this coming weekend, but told his dad, ‘Why are we doing this? I’m going to Notre Dame.’

His connection with Rees, who himself played quarterback for the Fighting Irish, is a big reason Carr is so certain of his decision. The two have spent a lot of time talking over the past year, and have developed a strong bond as offensive coordinator and quarterback.

“I fully trust him to develop me and to develop quarterbacks,” Carr said. “I’ve camped with him, I have watched him coach at practice, I have been in the film room with him, and I trust him 100%. I love the way he gets through to quarterbacks and the multiple ways he can get quarterbacks to understand. He has unbelievable energy too, and I love that.”

Carr is now ready to focus on recruiting

One of the other reasons CJ Carr wanted to lock down his commitment is to give him the chance to become a defacto recruiter for Freeman and Co. The Fighting Irish already have two other pledges in the 2024 class, and Carr is looking to bring an elite group of signees with him.

“I want to continue to build and help lead us to a national championship,” he said. “It gives me chills thinking about being part of the Fighting Irish. I’m just excited to be a part of the culture, the team, and hopefully part of the national championship team in the future.”