Everything Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said in Miami week news conference

For the first time in nine days — and since naming redshirt freshman CJ Carr the starting quarterback — Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman addressed the media on Tuesday.

In his Miami week news conference, Freeman spoke about his decision to roll with Carr, starting the season off on the road, the defensive line and several other topics for over 30 minutes with reporters. Here’s everything he said.

Opening statement 

“You know, excited to get this 2025 season underway. We haven’t met since we named captains. I was proud of our guys that voted those six guys to be named captain.

“We have leadership across the board. That’s something that I’m really proud of, not only those six captains — (junior linebacker) Drayk Bowen, (redshirt junior offensive lineman) Billy Schrauth, (redshirt sophomore safety) Adon Shuler, (fifth-year wide receiver) Will Pauling, (redshirt junior offensive lineman) Aamil Wagner and (redshirt junior defensive lineman) Donovan Hinish.

“Those are the ones who will represent our team as captains — but we have leadership, vocal leadership, really, through multiple guys on our team. It’s something we knew we would need, and I’ve been really pleased with the leadership from multiple guys in our program.

“We obviously named a starting quarterback last week in CJ Carr. I think CJ and (redshirt sophomore QB) Kenny (Minchey) both improved in training camp. That’s what you want. You wanted both of them to find ways to elevate. I believe they both did.

“I had to make a difficult decision, and I did. As I told both of them, ‘We’re going to need both of them this year. We’re going to need both, and they both have to be mature enough to handle that decision and understand they’re chasing their full potential.’ No matter if you’re named starting quarterback or you’re the backup quarterback. You have to continue to work.

“That’s not the ultimate goal, to be named starter. It’s to be the best version of you. Both of them did. Both of them went to work. I’m looking forward to this first game and what CJ will do leading our offense, and I’m excited for our offense and our team moving forward.

“As we get into Miami, a very, very talented football team coming off a 10-win season. Well-coached. I’ve got a lot of respect for Coach (Mario) Cristobal through our conversations that we’ve had in the past and seeing the success that he’s had in terms of acquiring that talent and developing that talent and really producing good football.

“In watching them, I think they’ve developed a little bit like our teams. They’re O-line and D-line driven. Their offensive line returns four starters, and they got the center from TCU, who has experience. Their D-line, No. 3 and 4 — (Rueben) Bain and I can’t remember the other guy’s name — are as good as you’ll see coming off the edge. The depth of the D-line is impressive.

“Then you’ve got Carson Beck, who has experience, is very talented, has played in big games. We obviously evaluated him tremendously last year as we got ready for Georgia. He is an extremely good quarterback and makes good decisions, fast decisions.

“I don’t foresee them taking a step back offensively. Their skill on both sides, they will be as explosive as we’ll see. They’ve got a lot of young guys in the wide receivers room, but then they’ve gotten some experienced transfers.

“Defensively, their DBs room, they have about six transfers. One of their corners was a Freshman All-American, a good player. Running backs room is deep. I can go through their whole roster. We’ve had plenty of time to evaluate that team. It’s going to be a great challenge. A great challenge for our program Week 1.

“We spent some time really looking at the rivalry of this game, which dates back to 1955. Looking at some of the great wins by Notre Dame, but also some of the defeats. We’re 0-6 the last six times we’ve played down there (against Miami).

“We know the challenge. We’ve been through Hard Rock Stadium. But the environment we know will be completely different than the Orange Bowl. We’ll be prepared for that. We know the challenge that is at hand.”

On what gives him confidence that Notre Dame can handle whatever challenges they face Sunday night

“I’m confident we will. You put each side of the ball in challenging situations in training camp to see how it responds. I’m confident in our leadership, confident in our coaches to make the adjustments necessary in any Week 1 game that you’re going to have.

“I think as you look at both sides of the ball, there are some similarities in terms of some of the things we do offensively, as their offensive coordinator has done in the past. Same thing defensively. There are some similarities. It’s going to be a game of adjustments.

“I think you’re going to have to be able to take care of the football and, on defense, try to create some takeaways. We want to be able to run the ball and stop the run. We know that. I think that’s an offense that runs the ball well, and we’ve got to stop the run. We’re going to have to make our adjustments, but I’m confident we will.”

On what Carr has done to elevate his game since being named starter

“I think there’s a natural human element where when you’re in competition with somebody, there’s a little hesitation to truly just lead as the quarterback should lead, be the leader of an offense. Both of them had done it in fall camp. Now, there’s direction. There is no confusion on who’s going to be the quarterback to start Game 1.

“You’re going to see that chemistry continue to build. I know the guys on our offense are confident in both quarterbacks because it was built through camp. Both quarterbacks went with the ones, but I think it’s great for our whole program to have direction moving forward.”

On how Carr separated himself as the starter

“I hesitate saying this is why I made the decision, because what I don’t want to do is look at a positive for one guy and a negative for another. I think statistically it was as close as any quarterback competition I’ve ever been a part of. I was looking for that to be the reason to make the decision, and it wasn’t clear.

“They were both really, really good statistically, and I just had to make a difficult decision. I had to trust my gut a little bit. What I felt like we needed going into Game 1 versus this opponent. Who will be able to handle the decision the right way? I think all those things played into my decision.”

On how Notre Dame prepares with an inexperienced QB

“Riley (Leonard) had some growing pains. You’re going to have some growing pains with any first-time starter. We have to understand that. We can’t expect CJ to be perfect. We know there are some ups and downs that come with that position. That comes with being a first-time starter. We’ve got to protect him, we’ve got to protect him in the pass game in terms of our O-line, but also protect him with the decisions we have to make.

“We can’t put too much on his plate. Because he’s got to be able to handle the environment. He’s got to be able to handle the crowd noise because it’s going to be his first game versus a big-time opponent. We’ve got to be able to run the ball. That’s something we know we have to do.

“Defensively, we have to be able to help our quarterback. We’ve got to get takeaways and be really good on defense and make sure this isn’t a shootout.”

On the importance of the team rallying around junior cornerback Christian Gray after giving up a touchdown against Ohio State and what that says about the program’s culture

“I think Christian is a reflection of our program for young people. I even think back to the USC game where he had some PIs (pass interceptions) early in the game. You saw on the sideline those guys speaking confidence to him. ‘You’re a dang good football player. If they try you again, make ‘em pay.’ He gets a pick-six second-to-last drive of the game.

“It’s the same thing. You end the Ohio State game giving up that big play, but you know what, sometimes you’ve got to lose to win. Sometimes you’ve got to have some negative things happen to you so that you can grow. Christian is an extremely good player; that’s a reflection of the brotherhood.

“We’re going to challenge each other. We’re going to evaluate everything we do inside our home. But, we’ll also support you outside of our home. Christian continues to get better. Some of those negative things that happened to him, that last play against Ohio State, that’s going to make him a better football player. He’s done a good job in fall camp.

On sixth-year DL Jordan Botelho’s availability vs. Miami

“He’ll be available this week.”

On what Notre Dame gets out of starting the season on the road against a ranked team

“I remember kind of talking about this last year, you’re guaranteed 12. To overlook any opponent is a disservice to the game of football. Our players know that. When you have a huge matchup Sunday night versus a great opponent, it raises the anticipation. There’s no lack of motivation. I hope there never is, but especially when you play an opponent like Miami on the road.

“Our guys are extremely driven, focused, motivated. Hope more than anything, you have some great practices leading up to that game as well.”

On the importance of redshirt junior RB Jadarian Price’s importance to the offense

“Oh, extremely important. He is as complete a back as anybody in our running backs room. He’s done an excellent job of taking care of the football. His natural, God-given abilities are well-seen in terms of what he does on the field.

“The work he’s put in to become a dependable blocker in protection. To use him in the pass game is growth I’ve seen in Jadarian. He is an extremely selfless person. He’s a guy that could demand 20, 30 touches a game. You’re not going to get that at Notre Dame. Not with the running backs room we have. But he’s a guy that makes the most of his opportunities. He’s a team-first guy. I’m looking forward to this year. He’s going to help.

On Carr’s non-physical attributes

“He’s as intelligent of a football player you’ll be around. Works extremely hard in his preparation. He is a guy that just studies the game endlessly to find a way to improve.

“This isn’t saying he’s different than some other guys. But when talking about CJ Carr, he’s a guy that’s very confident. At some points, maybe a little bit overconfident. But you want that in a quarterback. You want the quarterback to say, ‘I want the ball in my hands, every play; game’s on the line and I believe that I’m going to make the right decisions. He has a lot of those intangibles outside of the skill set many people see that you want your quarterback to have.”

On what would be a winning performance for Carr against Miami

“You want him to make good decisions. Every play can’t be a touchdown. Every play can’t be a bomb. Trust the game plan. Trust what you see. Be who you are and win this play. I don’t want to put a numerical expectation on him. Be the best version of CJ Carr. Make those guys around you better. Something that he does really well.

“He raises the play of those guys around him through his words, his actions and his competitive spirit. Be that guy. And at the end of the day, win this play. Not the last one. Just win this one right in front of you.”

On the right guard competition and whether they can use both redshirt junior Sullivan Absher and redshirt freshman Guerby Lambert

“They both can be involved in the game plan. We have to make a final decision here, probably after our Tuesday and Wednesday practice, who’s going to go out first. But it could be a situation that you see them both.”

On sophomore Bryce Young starting at defensive end

“We’re going to need them all. We are so deep at the end position, I’m talking both ends. We’re probably 5-6 deep. Getting Botelho back, he’s going to help us. (Sophomore) Loghan Thomas, (redshirt junior Joshua) Burnham, (redshirt junior) Junior (Tuihalamaka), (redshirt sophomore) Boubacar Traore, Bryce Young. Those six guys you’ll see. 

“Bryce, physically, he’s gotten bigger; he’s a big man. He’s got good genetics, but he’s a big man. What you’ve seen of him over training camp is really handles his weight and uses it the right way with power, as a powerful football player.

“He’s not just an edge rusher. He’s now really enhanced his game to be a complete defensive end in the run and the pass game. And he’s getting better. He’s a guy that came in as a freshman and was really freaking good, and he’s getting better.”

On whether there’s anything Freeman likes about starting the season on the road

“I embrace it. I embrace it. If you’re asking, ‘Would I rather start at home?’ I think you would always rather play at home, no matter when you get the opportunity.

“But, you know, there’s something about going on the road, man. It’s you against the world. Your group. There’s no distractions. It’s just you guys and you’re taking the show on the road versus a great opponent. At night. What a way to start college football season. It’s something we enjoy. We embrace.

“But that’s what you go to Notre Dame for, it’s why you coach at Notre Dame, to play in games like this throughout the year, but especially in Week 1. Night game, primetime, everybody’s watching you versus a heck of an opponent. That’s what anybody wants.

On what he knows about his team now that he didn’t know on July 31

“I was wondering where our leadership was going to come from, and as I said at the beginning of the press conference, it’s come from multiple people and multiple positions. Multiple different age groups.

“I’m really pleased with the leadership on this team. The ability to handle negative things, both sides of the ball. When you go good-on-good, you’re going to have some negative things happen. The ability to have leadership in negative times is something I’ve been extremely pleased with — anybody can lead when things are good, when things are up. When things aren’t going well, I’ve seen some leadership from our players that is extremely good to see.

“I’m confident, no matter what the environment, no matter what the score will be, they’re going to be able to handle it. I’ve often said that our greatest challenge won’t be handling adversity. We’re competitors; we’ve got to make sure we can handle success within a game. I’m not talking about a season, I’m talking about within a game. We’ve got to handle the good.”

On whether in-game adjustments are more important this week than normal

“Yeah, listen, Carson Beck is as good as I’ve seen when scouting an opponent. Cam Ward is, you gotta remind yourself, ‘OK, you’re watching the scheme, but I think they’re probably different in terms of what type of quarterback.’ They both got great arms, they both make good decisions. Carson Beck can escape if he needs to, but they have some people last year that’s not on their team this year.

“Part of how you game plan, a big part of the schematics, in terms of what you’re going to see schematically and how you can defend or attack it schematically. The second part of that is one-on-one mismatches. You’re going to try to create a mismatch so your guy can beat the opponent. So that’s the challenge where you’re looking at the Miami film for scheme, but not everybody is going to be there this first game.

“So they’re going to do what they do, right? At the end of the day, your identity offensively is your identity. But you’re also going to make sure that you play to the strengths of your personnel. So we have to be able to have a plan for what we think we’ll see schematically. But also, really after the first series or two, be able to adapt to say, ‘OK, what is this offense trying to do to the defense?’”

On how important it is to generate pressure with the front four to generate pressure

“It’s a great challenge when you’re facing an offensive line like we’re going to see. Now, our O-line is a good offensive line. And our defense every day has to go against our offensive line and try to create pressure with four guys.

“So it’ll be no different as we get ready to play on Sunday. We have to be able to generate a pass rush with four guys. If we can’t, then it’s going to be a long night.

“But we also have to find ways to, ‘OK, maybe we have to add a fifth. Maybe add a sixth, maybe add a seventh.’ So, I think getting pressure on a quarterback is vital for us to have success defensively.”

On what redshirt sophomore QB Kenny Minchey showed in camp that made the decision hard

“His decision making, his arm strength, his leadership in his own way. You talk about a guy that’s probably gained more trust from the start of spring ball to now than maybe anybody in our program.

“He’s good enough to be the starting quarterback at Notre Dame, right? It was a tough decision because, like I said earlier, the statistics were very, very similar. At the end of the day, I had to throw it out the window and make it on other factors.”

On what he created this offseason to test pressure

“Yeah, I think you try to be intentional about putting both sides of the ball in difficult situations at certain times. Then, you’re aware, when things don’t go well for a certain side of the ball, I want to see who’s speaking up, who’s getting the guys up, who’s the one taking the leadership role?

“Probably wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be early in camp. That’s where you, as a coach, have to interject and say, ‘These are the moments where we need leadership.’ Once I made that a point of emphasis, you really saw that leadership grow.

“It could be a play, it could be a series, it could be a situation. But you really saw that grow throughout camp.”

On the growth of the tight end room outside of senior Eli Raridon

“Yeah, you’ve seen a guy, (redshirt junior) Ty Washington, I didn’t know much about him before he got here. To see what he’s done and the growth he’s made in fall camp has been extremely pleasing. 

“(Redshirt freshman) Jack Larsen is a guy that, from last year to this year, have seen him grow physically, grow mentally, to a point that he is a dependable person.

“I think you had a guy like (sixth-year) Kevin Bauman, who was a mature guy, been in the program for six years. When he all of a sudden had to retire, you saw that the younger guys or the new guys — Ty’s not a young guy — had an increased role. 

“I’ve seen a lot of growth out of that group. (Offensive coordinator) Coach (Mike) Denbrock spends an enormous amount of time of developing those guys in terms of the run and the pass game. I’ve really, really seen a lot of growth in those younger guys.”

On whether he and senior TE Justin Fisher have talked trash about the Penn vs. Mishawaka game

“Not trash talk, but we have discussed it. My son has told me that they’re (Mishawaka) as talented of a team as they’re (Penn) going to see all year. They got a little bit of added motivation because of what happened last year.

“I told him I’m going to try to be there and support him if I can. But I kind of stay out of the trash-talking business with Fish right now. Mishawaka right now has done a really good job in terms of their football program. As Penn has too, but I don’t know why I’m talking about high school football.”

On what he sees in sophomore CB Leonard Moore that makes him a leader

“If I would have gave the option for a guy in their second year to be a captain, I’m not so certain that Leonard wouldn’t have been named a captain. I didn’t give the first- or second-year guys the opportunity to be voted upon.

“As I mentioned earlier, you talk about leadership outside of those six guys that have been named captains. Leonard Moore, (junior running back) Jeremiyah Love, those guys are leading in their own way of making the rooms of those guys they surround themselves with better.

“I see Leonard coaching those two freshmen, Dallas Golden and Mark Zackery IV, just as much as [defensive backs] Coach [Mike] Mickens. When Coach Mickens has to focus on five guys at once, well, guess what? There’s some other guys that need coaching. You see Leonard and Christian both take a big role in helping those young guys through the good plays and the bad plays. Probably more than anything, when they get beat.

“You’re going to get beat, especially playing corner. You’ve got to have somebody to build that confidence in you. Leonard’s done a tremendous job doing that.

“The other part is he’s practicing at a high level. You can’t practice poorly and expect to be a leader. He keeps practicing at a high level. He studies the game, takes care of his body, and he’s doing a great job for us.”

On when he saw Botelho turn the corner

“The growth — I’ve save my opinions on people for the time that I’m around them. I don’t really put much into what has happened in the past.

“I remember in ‘21 meeting with Jordan. He was a talented young person at that time that wasn’t a complete football player or person yet. The maturity that he has truly displayed in these four years has been tremendous.

“Part of the maturity is how do you respond to negative things? How do you respond to not playing as much as you want early? How do you respond to being injured? How do you attack rehab? How do you make sure you’re prepared when you don’t even know if you’re going to play?

“We didn’t expect Jordan to be back for week one. The work he’s put in to put himself in a position physically and mentally to help this football team shows you his commitment to this football team. But to put in the work to help this team.

“He was a guy that was considering — I didn’t know if he was going to come back this year. I thought he would maybe try to go to the NFL when he made the decision to come back. He is a mature individual.

“I got a chance to spend some time with his mom, who’s a Korean woman. I really enjoyed spending time with her. I’m going to shout her out. Us Koreans gotta stick together a little bit. She was here in the summer as he was rehabbing. I think there’s a little bit to that nurturing that a mother provides their son or child.

“I think all those things helped him. His maturity, the people around him, the belief in his coaches, [defensive line] Coach [Al] Washington, the belief that we’ve instilled in him, that all factors into him being ready to go.

On what he’s seen from Minchey since Carr was named the starter

“Exactly what I thought it was going to be. There’s a disappointment that is a natural human reaction that any competitor is going to have when they’re not named starter. He was disappointed.

“I knew after a day or so he was going to use it to make him a better version of Kenny. That’s what I’ve seen. He’s come out and he’s practiced, he’s prepared in a way that you expectKenny Minchey to do.

“That’s a sign of maturity. I didn’t expect him to be happy with my decision, but I did expect after a day or so to see the maturity of Kenny Minchey in terms of being able to go back to work. Understanding delayed gratification. It’s delayed gratification.

“Your job is to reach your full potential. There’s things you can do deliberately. You can use this as a motivator. You can use multiple different things as a motivator to put the work in. But he will be ready if his number is called, and I knew that when I made this decision.”

On what he sees at defensive tackle, that Notre Dame should be ready for the challenge

“That defensive tackle position was probably the biggest question mark I had coming into training camp, and has probably given me the most conviction of a position group as any on our team.

“Credit Coach Washington first for keeping that group together, driven, but there’s multiple guys. All you hear about is Rylie Mills and Howard Cross. There’s multiple guys in that room that are going to play and have played and practiced as well as any position group in fall camp.

“They’re all different ages. There’s transfers. A guy like (redshirt senior) Jason Onye that I spoke about previously, it’s a great reminder of development. He’s playing as well at that position as anybody I’ve seen since I’ve been here. That’s a high compliment for him, but that’s a credit to the work he’s put in.

“(Redshirt junior) Donnie Hinish. I told him wearing number 41, he’s got big shoes to pull because of his brother. I came in when his brother was here; I had one year with Kurt. Don’t tell Kurt I said this, but Donnie’s making me forget about the older 41, which is what Kurt would want. Kurt would want that. Donnie’s practicing as well as anybody.

“(Redshirt senior) Gabe Rubio. (Redshirt senior) Jared Dawson, a transfer coming into a new place, learning a new scheme, new expectations. His first practice to where he’s at now has been tremendous. It’s been tremendous in terms of being able to handle the way we practice, the expectations, what we want out of him.

“I speak with a lot of confidence when I talk about that defensive tackle group. I think we’re going to see some big things out of them.”