Notre Dame football has national championship aspirations in 2026, in large part due to second-year starting quarterback CJ Carr, who is expected to be one of the top signal-callers in college football.
Carr even comes from a family with championship pedigree, too.
Carr passed for 2,741 yards with 24 touchdowns to six interceptions last season as a redshirt freshman, while also rushing for three scores. He was tested right out the gate for the Fighting Irish, playing well but losing to both Miami and Texas A&M in nonconference play, which ultimately kept Notre Dame out of the College Football Playoff.
The blue-chip recruit was the No. 68 player and No. 6 quarterback
of the 2024 recruiting class, per 247Sports' Composite rankings, and sat his first season behind Sam Hartman before taking over the offense. The trendy Heisman Trophy pick this season will be relied on heavily offensively in 2026, especially with 2026 NFL Draft first-round picks Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price moving on.
Carr and Notre Dame open their season against Wisconsin on Sunday, Sept. 6, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with the college football world awaiting Carr's next step as a player.
Here's what to know of Carr, who comes from quite the football background.
Is CJ Carr related to Lloyd Carr?
CJ Carr is the grandson of former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, who coached the Wolverines from 1995-2007 and led them to the 1997 national championship, as well as five Big Ten championships.
Lloyd Carr, who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011, is third in all-time wins at Michigan behind Bo Schembechler and Fielding Yost. The 81-year-old former coach spent over 27 years at Michigan, serving as defensive backs coach from 1980-86 before he was promoted to defensive coordinator from 1987-94.
CJ Carr family tree
Carr's dad, Jason Carr, was a quarterback at Michigan from 1992-95, playing for Lloyd Carr as a senior. Jason Carr primarily was a backup for the Wolverines and appeared in 20 career games.
CJ Carr's other grandfather, Tom Curtis, played safety at Michigan from 1996-69, where he was a two-time All-American in 1968 and '69. He is Michigan's single-season and career records holder in interceptions (10 and 25, respectively), and is a 2005 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame. He also played in the NFL and won Super Bowl 5 with the Baltimore Colts.
Is CJ Carr related to Tommy Carr?
Unlike his brother, fellow college quarterback Tommy Carr did, however, opt to go to Michigan. The four-star true freshman is the Wolverines' current backup behind Bryce Underwood, and appears to be the future of the position for the program.
Michigan was able to land at least one Carr.
Why didn't CJ Carr go to Michigan?
Carr attended Saline High School in Saline, Michigan, just a 20-minute drive from Ann Arbor, Michigan, where the Wolverines are located. Instead of following the family legacy at Michigan, he opted for Notre Dame, which at least spares Wolverines fans from having to see him in Big Ten play.
Lloyd Carr even told reporters he thought Carr would ultimately choose Michigan, having grown up a fan of the school.
"Probably like a lot of Michigan fans," Lloyd said in 2022, "I expected him to go to Michigan."
Upon committing to Notre Dame, Carr said he never planned on attending hometown Michigan.
"I never wanted to go to school close to my hometown," Carr said. "I kind of wanted to branch out a little bit. Notre Dame was just the perfect place."
CJ Carr stats
Here are Carr's year-by-year stats heading into his third year of college:
- 2024: N/A
- 2025: 195-of-293 passing (66.6%) for 2,741 yards with 24 touchdowns to six interceptions; 41 carries for 33 yards with three touchdowns
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is CJ Carr related to Lloyd Carr? Why QB chose Notre Dame over Michigan
