Elite 2024 QB CJ Carr enjoying the committed life, recruiting others to Notre Dame
Notre Dame pulled off a major recruiting upset June 9 when Saline (Mich.) High’s CJ Carr, the No. 21 overall prospect and No. 5 quarterback nationally per the 2024 On3 Consensus, committed to the Irish over Michigan.
It’s been over two months since his initial pledge, and in a recent video interview with Blue
& Gold, Carr said that he’s happy with his decision to pick the Irish.
“It’s really nice; it really is,” he said. “It’s a blessing to know where you want to go so early. I do love talking to you guys, but it can be a lot sometimes. Talking to reporters has died down a bit. There’s not as many coaches that I have to talk to. Overall, it’s been great.”
A factor in locking in a commitment before the start of his junior season was so that he could help build a recruiting class, and he got to do just that at the end of July for the Notre Dame cookout recruiting event.
“Right when we got there, it was great because Cam Williams and Jack Larsen were already there — two of the offensive commits,” Carr said. “It’s been great getting to know those guys; we’re already like best friends.
“I’m obviously really close with all of the commits. A guy I’ve gotten close with in the past few months is [elite 2024 wide receiver target] Ryan Wingo. I’ve seen him twice now and this last trip was awesome — to compete with him and get around him again. Hopefully he can be a part of the Irish, too.”
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Carr got to toss the ball around with some other recruits and play mini-games with them, as well as have dinner with coaches and prospects.
“It was overall a great experience,” he said.
The 6-2.5, 195-pounder is in the ear of another top prospect who visited Notre Dame that weekend, as well as one he wished could have been.
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“[On3 2024 five-star defensive lineman] Justin Scott is a big one, and he was at the barbecue,” said Carr. “Another guy who I really wanted to be there is [2024 cornerback] Kaleb Beasley. He’s one ranking that I have zero idea what the recruiting services are thinking, because he’s a five-star player in my opinion. He’s unbelievable.”
There is typically a “leader” of a recruiting class among the commits, and often times, it’s a quarterback. For the 2024 cycle, it’s certainly Carr.
Some recruits are more aggressive in targeting other prospects, while others are more laid back and are focused more on building relationships. Carr is a bit more in the latter camp.
“When kids commit to wherever they go, you have to support that decision,” he explained. “You could also ultimately end up playing with them with the transfer portal; there’s a lot of different variables. You can’t diss on a kid for going to a different school.
“I really enjoy getting to meet these recruits and build a relationship with them and posting the memes on Twitter; I like doing that. But I like connecting with them in-person.”
Carr is the grandson of legendary Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, who guided the program from 1995-2007, compiled a 122-40 record, and won the 1997 national championship. Carr’s maternal grandfather is Tom Curtis, a former All-American and College Football Hall of Fame Michigan safety. Jason Carr, Lloyd’s son and CJ’s father, was a quarterback at Michigan in the 1990s. His mother, Tammi, also graduated from Michigan.
