Marcus Freeman had the chance to add one of the most productive quarterbacks in the transfer portal this offseason. Mercer transfer Branden Atkinson, fresh off a 3611-yard, 34-touchdown season, had visited South Bend with interest from others like Baylor, Boston College, and Syracuse. However, despite the resume and timing, Notre Dame chose not to go with him. A huge chunk of the program’s confidence in letting go of a player like that stems from the confidence they have in their own player, CJ Carr.

“Notre Dame hosted Atkinson for a visit on Tuesday, but the Irish went in a different direction,” Rivals’ Mike Singer reported.

Notre Dame trusting Carr to lead the Irish forward is understandable. He is coming off a season that would make any coach grin. The Michigan native completed 66.6% of his throws and threw for 2,741 yards and 24 touchdowns to lead Notre Dame to a 10-2 record. The Irish rattled off 10 straight double-digit wins, and Carr did it all with a poise and confidence that had Freeman giving him the keys to the offense early on.

“He’s as intelligent a football player you’ll be around, works extremely hard in his preparation…You want the quarterback to say, ‘I want the ball in my hands every play when the game is on the line,’” Freeman said when naming Carr the starter.

It’s a bold move, and it speaks to Freeman’s philosophy.

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“Every play, it can’t be a bomb,” Freeman said. “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. That’s something that he does really well.”

Make no mistake, because Branden Atkinson is just as good. Infact he found his next home at Oregon State already. His 2025 season was among the most productive in the country, and he completed 268 of 407 passes, leading his team to a 9-3 record. So, he is exactly what teams and coaches are looking for, but maybe not just Freeman, because the Irish aren’t chasing portal additions just for depth.

Now, of course, the bigger the trust, the more the responsibility, so all eyes will be on Carr to prove that faith was well-placed. Beyond that, the bigger focus remains on finding the right fit for the program, players who can genuinely make an impact.

Notre Dame’s transfer portal drama

It’s been a bizarre start to the transfer portal for Notre Dame. Fans and insiders were left perplexed when Colorado DB DJ McKinney reportedly broke his verbal commitment to the Irish hours later. Even though the gateway has been open for over a week, Notre Dame, a program that takes immense pride in attracting elite talent, has not yet secured its first addition.

There is still time for South Bend to turn things around despite the slow start, and one player generating buzz is former Ohio State WR Quincy Porter. After the Buckeyes signed five-star Chris Henry Jr. alongside Jeremiah Smith, Porter was buried in the depth chart. This past season, Porter only had four receptions for 59 yards. This 6-foot-4, 210-pound athlete would instantly add size and depth to a Notre Dame receiving corps that will soon lose Malachi Fields to the NFL Draft.

Notre Dame still has gaps to fill despite having several potential possibilities already in the fold, such as Jordan Faison returning, Micah Gilbert eager to see more play, and five new 2026 recruits. For fans, the portal drama has already been unpredictable and tense, but landing a player like Porter could instantly flip the script and give Notre Dame the spark it needs heading into next season.