CJ Carr, QB Notre Dame: 2027 NFL Draft Profile & Summer Scouting Report

Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback CJ Carr had one of the most impressive passing performances I watched in 2025, but he needs to take a massive step forward to contend for a high selection in the 2027 NFL Draft. Carr projects better as a 2028 option.

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Classification: Redshirt sophomore quarterback from Saline, Mich.

Background: Carr was a four-star recruit from Saline High School in Saline, Mich. in the class of 2024. He was the No. 68 recruit on the 247Sports composite board and No. 68 for Rivals. ESPN ranked him 36th in the nation with an 86 grade out of 100. Carr was an All-American Bowl participant and a three-time First Team All-State selection. As a high school senior, he completed 199 of 292 pass attempts for 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions and rushed for nine touchdowns. As a junior, Carr completed 68.1% of his passes for 2,685 yards, 25 touchdowns, and five interceptions while rushing for 221 yards and seven touchdowns. He passed for 2,696 yards, 28 touchdowns, and four interceptions as a sophomore. Carr’s father, Jason, played football at Michigan, where CJ’s grandfather, Lloyd Carr, was the head coach. Carr also played basketball for Saline.

Injuries & Off-Field: Elbow injury suffered in 2024 practice required prolonged period to heal

Awards: 2025 Second Team Freshman All-American (The Athletic)

Pros: Adequate size for the modern position, adjusts well to low snaps, quick throwing motion, resets and throws from a reliable base, mostly clean lower body mechanics when provided a sound pocket, quick game procedure and execution, quickly works to second read with examples of working all the way to checkdowns, developing ability to use eyes to hold or move defensive backs, timing and anticipation working comebacks and curls, usually throws his receivers out of harm’s way at intermediate level, ball pops off his hand with good velocity, velocity allows access to far hash short to intermediate throws, drops the ball in the bucket downfield with nice touch, enough mobility to move the pocket and extend plays

Cons: One-year starter, some over-striding, gets stuck on his second read sometimes, double clutching and second guessing, eye discipline is still a work in progress, field vision has blind spots at the second level, appears to lack the top tier arm strength to consistently unlock 50+ yard throws downfield, receivers need to slow down to catch his fades and posts, disappointing number off-target throws with no chance of being caught (especially on slants and fades), needlessly moves off his spot at times, base really breaks down when he sees pressure coming, mental slips against pressure in his face and in muddy pockets, forces throws (even when under pressure) instead of living to fight another day, several poor interceptions thrown on long extended plays where no one was open, treats running with apprehension, adlibbed and poor footwork throwing on the move takes the velocity out of his throws, off-platform throws often lack accuracy and velocity, not elusive or speedy, offers nothing as runner when faced with defender in space

Overview: Carr offers adequate size for a modern quarterback but is on the shorter side of the spectrum. He dealt with a decent number of low or off-target snaps last season with minimal issues. Carr has a slight loop in his throwing motion, but it doesn’t meaningfully seem to slow down his delivery or cause negative effects. Carr is at home in the pocket, where he throws from a reliable base with consistent lower body mechanics. He suffers from some over-striding, but that’s an easy fix with proper coaching. Carr quickly gets to his second read and has plenty of examples of working to backside curls and digs. However, he sometimes gets mentally stuck on that second read. The one-year starter is still developing his decisiveness. He double-clutches too often, giving defenses time to close on his receivers. His eye discipline and ability to hold or move defenders with his eyes are improving, but he still tips off second level defenders by staring down receivers. There are also gaps in his vision at the second level that create opportunities for interceptions. Carr comes with some physical limitations. His arm is more in the B tier, and he dealt with a noticeable number of underthrows downfield in 2025. There is better velocity than strength in his arm, allowing him to drive the ball into windows on the far hash. When paired with his timing and anticipation, especially on comebacks and curls, Carr’s velocity takes defenders out of the play. His ball placement suffers from wide swings. Carr makes life easy on his receivers with touch and nice placement downfield, and he protects receivers from taking big collisions over the middle of the field. Unfortunately, off-target throws remain a concern for Carr. He should take a natural step in the right direction in this area as a second-year starter. The Michigan native was rarely sacked in 2025, but his response to pressure left a lot to be desired. His footwork, timing, and mental safeguards break down when the pocket gets muddy. Carr tries to force throws in these scenarios. He had several horrible interceptions on extended plays last season where a better answer would’ve been to dirt the ball. He also tries to do too much on the move. Carr is mobile enough to move the pocket but lacks the elusiveness or speed to be a significant threat. His off-platform throws often come out deflated with questionable accuracy and limited velocity. Those throws float and turn into potential interceptions.

Overall, Carr’s tape against North Carolina State was some of the most promising by a quarterback in 2025. None of his other relevant games came close to that level. Carr is a developing prospect who likely needs a multi-year runway to reach his potential in college. Physical limitations could become a more prominent part of the discussion in future seasons.

Role & Scheme Fit: Pocket passer in a West Coast scheme

Round Projection: Late Third to Early Fourth Round

Size: 6’2”, 215 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 06-26-26