Notre Dame football Blue-Gold Game position-by-position breakdown

On Saturday afternoon, Notre Dame football will take the field in front of fans for the first time since the College Football Playoff (CFP) national championship in the annual Blue-Gold Game. Many players will see the gridiron for the Irish – some household names carrying high expectations into 2025, others depth pieces aiming to announce their presence as impact players. Here’s a breakdown of Notre Dame’s roster in terms of what to expect from each position group this weekend.

Quarterbacks

It remains a quarterback competition, and that’s no secret. If we can say anything with certainty about the signal-callers right now, it’s probably that one of them will hit the transfer portal shortly after the Blue-Gold Game, just like Tyler Buchner did in 2023.

Senior Steve Angeli and sophomore CJ Carr figure to have the best looks at the starting job week one at Miami. Angeli leads the group in terms of experience, having played 21 games with one start. He’s done no wrong with his opportunities and sparked Notre Dame’s offense just before halftime in January’s Orange Bowl Win. Carr and junior Kenny Minchey each appeared once this past year at the end of the Purdue game, but Carr profiled higher than his classmate as a prospect and at this point looks to have a better shot at battling Angeli for the starting job.

Freshman Blake Hebert, a flip from Clemson on the heels of Deuce Knight’s move away from Notre Dame, and sophomore Teddy Rezac round out Notre Dame’s rostered quarterbacks.

Running backs

For now, it’s a loaded position group, one that may slim down just a bit when the portal opens up next week. Junior Jeremiyah Love, a highlight-reel Heisman candidate, will lead the backs no matter what after an 1,125-yard, 17-touchdown season. Senior Jadarian Price may not stick around given he could start practically anywhere else, but sophomore Aneyas Williams’ breakout at the end of last year should make Irish fans feel a bit better about that possibility. Williams became Notre Dame’s true third-down back for the CFP run, tallying 66 receiving yards in the Orange Bowl.

Senior Gi’Bran Payne is set to return from a season-long injury after totaling 168 rushing yards two years ago, adding depth to the room. If he or Price heads to the portal, expect sophomore four-star Kedren Young to see a bit more action in 2025.