Marcus Freeman has never been in a rush regarding his QB1 decision. Heading into another promising year at South Bend, Freeman has a daunting task hanging over his head. He needs to take a call between his three contending QBs, Steve Angeli, Kenny Minchey, and CJ Carr, by the fall. The task at hand is comparatively more challenging than that of the other teams, as each quarterback faces a similar situation at their starting position. Each of the three evenly matches skills, determination, and the other intangibles; hence, none of them has been a frontrunner. However, Freeman has to keep in mind their early schedule. They will kick off the season on the Labor Day weekend against Miami in August. To avoid an early heartbreak in a powerhouse team, Freeman must fix his QB order fast.

After their first blue and gold game on Saturday, Freeman discussed a lot of topics, including the QB drama and subsequent portal strategy, during a 10-minute press meet. The veteran head coach believes things are heading in the right direction so far after deeply analyzing the performances of his QB assets in the game. He is not jumping to a conclusion, as it’s not always about the outcome. The process, the proper build-up, is what he sees right now. But when asked about his take on them, Freeman says he sees a lot of teaching opportunities. They are far from perfect. Carr had a turnover.

But Freeman seems to be in awe of their fighting spirit. How they were hustling to become the best – moved him the most. It was a reflection of how the first 11 practices have been. Those guys have been battling. “They’ve all improved. They’re all doing some really good things,” the Notre Dame headman said. “It’s crazy to think that you got three guys that all can lead your program to a victory and be your starting quarterback.”

The one relaxing news is that no one in the camp has yet fallen into an injury trap. It’s just that they need to fix the scoring system to give the defense a little more edge to match up with the ablaze offense. The rest is a flawless execution of the prudent head coach’s broad vision.

Freeman looks to continue honing his roster for the better through the remaining two or three practices. But he’s not necessarily willing to add more numbers to his roster.

Marcus Freeman disclosed the spring portal signing plan 

Freeman said he has no issues if any guys look to hit the portal. They should have a talk together and discuss things to decide the best for them and the team moving forward. But for the talent inflow, the Irish head coach believes they are full.

“The same thing is, again, we’re not actively seeking to add to our roster. We’re really happy with what we got. If something comes to our attention and we see adds value to our roster and our program, then we have to have a conversation about it” – the head coach came clean on his plans around the portal. It’s no shocker for a coach who believes in quality, not quantity. Having your guys around, making them grind every day, forming a bond, and broadening the collective vision works much better than just mindlessly stockpiling talent.

Freeman looks to pick up notes from his past failure in the Buckeyes game. He rewatched the films again and again to understand exactly where things went wrong schematically. To correct the errors, Freeman thinks having a bunch of talents who value the team above their individuality is crucial. The goal is simple: Pick a few guys, make them the best in the country with aligned values with the team, and continue walking on the road of your Natty dream slowly but steadily.