Steve Angeli shares how important reps with starters was in spring

Notre Dame may have a bevy of starting-caliber quarterbacks, but Steve Angeli is looking to prove to Marcus Freeman why he’s the man for the job.

Angeli played well at the end of last season, when he started for an absent Sam Hartman after the quarterback decided to focus his attention on the 2024 NFL Draft, rather than the Fighting Irish’s bowl game. In his stead, Angeli played well, and that’s helped build him some momentum in the spring.

However, former Duke quarterback Riley Leonard coming to South Bend via the transfer portal complicated some things, but Angeli has been playing with the ones while Leonard recovers from an injury. He spoke about how important those reps have been for him, while talking with the media.

“I think the most (important thing) throughout spring was finally getting an opportunity to get a lot of reps in with the ones,” Angeli told the media. “I think, from a leadership standpoint, just kind of cementing myself, and build that type of rapport with the guys in the locker room. I think that’s one, and then two, just really, decision-making.

“You know, learning a new offense, but also being able to play fast, and work on those things that I’ve been trying to work on, throughout my whole time here.”

The reps are important, but what you do with them is what matters. Evidently, Angeli recognizes that, and even with all the pressure on himself, he’s thriving during Notre Dame’s spring practice session.

Time will tell who Notre Dame’s starting quarterback is in 2024, but Steve Angeli is making sure his name is in the conversation once again, as he looks to show why he deserves his flowers.

Marcus Freeman ‘really pleased’ with Notre Dame quarterbacks

Continuing, spring practice has come and gone at Notre Dame in a year where the team is going to be adjusting to a new quarterback. That group, in particular, is one that head coach Marcus Freeman says he’s been pleased with.

Following the Blue-Gold Game, Freeman explained that he was happy with how all the quarterbacks performed, especially with their growth and decision-making.

“I was really pleased with what I saw,” Marcus Freeman said. “A lot of good, but you never want to turn the ball over, which we did. But I love the decision-making, just from being back there and watching them. Again, they’ve been progressing all spring.” 

Notre Dame has four quarterbacks listed on its roster, with three being healthy enough to play in the Blue-Gold Game. CJ Carr, Kenny Minchey, and Steve Angeli were available for the game, with Minchey and Carr being live and full contact.

Having those players at full contact is something that Marcus Freeman feels is good for them, as well as for the defense itself.

“It’s good to have Kenny and CJ be live today. And I think it’s good for the defensive guys to realize that just because you get close to the quarterback, you realize it’s a lot harder to actually get a sack. Those guys love to yell ‘sack’ when they get close to the quarterback, but today it shows that you’ve actually got to bring the quarterback down and it’s not as easy as sometimes it may seem,” Freeman stated.

“But I was really pleased overall in the entire spring of what all three of those guys have done with the groups they’ve been in there with and the production that they’ve really provided this offense.”

On3’s Dan Morrison contributed to this article.