Could Notre Dame’s Tough Early 2025 Schedule Alter the QB Plan?

The Irish will be tested early next season

Oct 26, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA;Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) carries the ball during the first half against the Navy Midshipmen at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Never a dull moment in Notre Dame Land

Even in a week where Notre Dame doesn't play a game, it still moves the national needle when it comes to news. It's been known for a while now that Miami was on the 2025 Irish slate, but the game had no date, until today.

Notre Dame will travel to Miami to face the Hurricanes Labor Day weekend in Hard Rock Stadium. This news makes for what will be a very important and challenging September for the Irish who will host the Texas A&M Aggies in South Bend on September 13th after their clash with the Canes.

𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒: I’ve been hinting at this for a few days, and now it’s official…

The Miami Hurricanes will open their 2025 season against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Labor Day weekend at Hard Rock Stadium.

Miami will also play 8 home games next season. (They host against UF) https://t.co/8kkouQGRaw pic.twitter.com/ebcFT141w7

— Geo Milian (@GeoMilian) October 30, 2024

Could this news alter the Notre Dame staff's QB plan?

One of the first things I thought about when this news broke was Notre Dame's QB situation. Most believed that the plan for next year is to not go the portal grad transfer route like it has for 3 out of the last four seasons and instead have a competition between Angeli, Minchey, and Carr for the starting role.

Does the fact that the schedule is so front-heavy now with Miami, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Boise State, and USC all before Halloween change how the staff views the QB dynamic? Will Freeman and Denbrock feel as though they need a QB with a lot of experience to navigate this early schedule and remain in CFP contention beyond mid-October or will they trust and believe in an in-house option with very little or no starting experience?

At some point, it's hard not to think that for program stability long term and to ensure QB recruits keep selecting Notre Dame and don't view the position as purely a portal position, that the Irish get behind and invest in a young player that the program can grow with and build around. If the year this philosophy kicks in is 2025, it'll be a baptism by fire for whoever wins this role.

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