Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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16 JUNE/JULY 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY JACK SOBLE W hich Notre Dame quarter- back performed best in the Blue-Gold Game April 20? It could have been junior Steve Angeli, who commanded the Blue team's offense well and won the game with a 62-yard bomb to gradu- ate student wide receiver Kris Mitchell. It could have been sophomore Kenny Minchey, who engineered one touch- down drive with his legs and finished another with a dime to freshman wide- out Micah Gilbert. And it could have been freshman CJ Carr, who arguably made the fewest mistakes and tied the game late for the Gold team with a beautiful ball to Gilbert in between two defenders. None were perfect, but there's a case to be made for all three in the Blue team's 28-21 win. That, to Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman, was no surprise. "I was really pleased overall, the en- tire spring, of what all three of those guys have done with the groups they've been in there with and the production they've really provided this offense," Freeman said. They've done it without the likely starter at the position, Riley Leonard. The senior Duke transfer said April 9 that he would have been 50-50 to play if it were a regular-season game, but holding him out of the Blue-Gold Game was an easy decision. With Leonard out, Angeli has worked with the first-team offense throughout spring ball. He started for the Blue team, completing 17 of 25 pass attempts for 228 yards with 2 touchdowns. In addi- tion to the game-winner, he delivered a strike over the middle to junior tight end Eli Raridon to open the scoring. As he did when he played as a soph- omore in 2023, Angeli made the right reads, protected the football and hit the big play when it was there. He has come a long way since last season's spring game when he struggled and was unable to lead the offense into the end zone. But his mindset remained the same. "I wouldn't say my expectations changed," Angeli said. "Every time I step on a field in a game-like setting, I'm out there doing my best to help this team win." On the Gold team, Minchey got off to a rocky start. He forced a pass over the middle that wound up in sopho- more safety Luke Talich's hands, and his squad fell behind 14-0. But he willed the Gold team into the end zone by scram- bling in the second quarter, and he flashed the gunslinger-style arm talent that will make him a starting quarter- back at some point in his college career. Minchey combined for 163 yards from scrimmage, between his arm and his legs. He hit sophomore wideout KK Smith for 38 yards the play before his 26-yard dot to Gilbert. Carr, playing for both teams, threw for 165 yards and that game-tying touchdown. He should be making plans for senior ditch day at Saline (Mich.) High, but instead he spent April 20 ma- neuvering pockets and manipulating defenders. The ball moves differently out of Carr's hand. He zips it, which Irish fans got to see firsthand for the first time. Each one of the three underclassmen brings something unique to the table. "The QB room is extremely talented," Mitchell said. "There's a lot of competi- tion, just healthy competition. They're Junior Steve Angeli, who has worked with the first-team offense throughout spring ball, started for the Blue team, completing 17 of 25 pass attempts for 228 yards with 2 touchdowns. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER QB1 ( S ) Riley Leonard is likely the guy in 2024, but all three underclassman signal-callers showed starting potential in the Blue-Gold Game