Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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66 PRESEASON 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY MIKE SINGER Notre Dame was one of the last couple schools in the country to offer a quar- terback prospect in the 2027 class, and Gino Guidugli's patience paid off. The Fighting Irish quarterbacks coach offered two players at the position at the end of June: Shreveport (La.) Evan- gel Christian Academy's Peyton Hous- ton and Kennesaw (Ga.) North Cobb's Teddy Jarrard. A month later on July 24, Guidugli got one of his choices. Jarrard — the No. 2 signal-caller and No. 52 overall player nationally per Rivals — picked the Irish over finalists Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State. "I chose Notre Dame because of the culture," Jarrard said. "Coach [Mar- cus] Freeman has built a great program there over the years, and it's something special that I want to be a part of. Also, Coach Gino has been great to me. He develops quarterbacks in a great way. "Out of any school, Notre Dame showed the most love and support for my journey. That meant a lot to me and my family. The culture at Notre Dame is different than any other school. The fans really rally around the players. When I was up there, you could really feel the difference." Jarrard respected how Guidugli han- dled recruiting the 2027 class. It also helped that Jarrard is wired similarly to his future position coach. Both are straightforward, business-minded and all about ball. "Coach Gino's quarterback room and the offense Coach [Mike] Denbrock runs — it fits me," he added. "And also with Notre Dame, I was one of two quarter- backs they chose to offer. That meant a lot to me. I was their guy, and they got me." Jarrard first called Freeman to inform him of the commitment. "He was really happy and excited," the four-star passer said. "Coach Den- brock and Coach Gino were really fired up as well." The 6-3, 196-pounder received his first scholarship offer from Bethune- Cookman in February 2024. He steadily added offers in the following several months, and his process exploded dur- ing the spring evaluation period this past April and May. Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Mis- sissippi State, North Carolina State and Ohio State were among the schools that offered him in the spring, while the Irish, Clemson, Florida State and Penn State extended scholarships to him in June. "Notre Dame is getting a quarterback who is a perfectionist," Jarrard said. "I work on my craft every day, and I'm go- ing to outwork everyone. I'll come in trying to set the tone and get better ev- ery day." During his sophomore season in 2024, Jarrard completed 72 percent of his throws for 2,783 yards with 34 touch- downs. He was named the Georgia High School Association Region 7-AA offen- sive player of the year and to the 2024 All-Cobb County first-team offense. He had a strong freshman campaign as well, completing 153 of 260 passes for 2,065 yards with 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Recruit Georgia listed him as a 2023 Class 2A All-State honor- able mention pick. Jarrard played his first two high school seasons at North Cobb Chris- tian, a Georgia Class 2A school, but transferred to North Cobb, a Class 6A program, in the offseason. "From the food he puts into his body, to the way he sleeps at night to the way he prepares for each day, Teddy is an elite high school quarterback with a professional mindset," North Cobb head coach Shane Queen told Rivals' Chad Simmons. "I have never seen anything like it. Teddy is different, and there just are not guys like him. He is on a differ- ent level, not only with his ability, but his preparation." His uncle, Cory Phillips, played at Georgia from 1999 to 2002 and is a close friend of Bulldogs' head coach Kirby Smart — another data point that shows how impressive of a recruiting win this is for the Irish. Jarrard also grew up a Georgia fan. Jarrard's younger brother, Gunner, is a class of 2029 tight end prospect with an early offer from UNLV and potential in baseball as well. ✦ COMMITMENT PROFILE TEDDY JARRARD Jarrard — the No. 2 quarterback and No. 52 over- all player nationally per Rivals — picked the Irish over finalists Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State. PHOTO BY MIKE SINGER Irish Land Early Commitment From Elite 2027 Quarterback FILM ANALYSIS "Teddy Jarrard delivers on time and has a really good feel. When you see him live in a seven-on-seven setting, he is not over- whelmed. It's not sped up for him at all. We saw his processing ability, and that jives with what you see on film. He's an accurate, on- time passer from the pocket. "He has a good arm and the accuracy — especially as a rising junior — is advanced and ahead of the curve compared to the top 2027 quarterbacks. Jarrard has a lot of what you look for in the passing department. From what I've seen, he's just a cool customer. You put him in pressure situations on Friday nights or in a competitive camp setting, and he rises to the occasion more times than not. You like to see that. "When you look at what he'll bring to the table at Notre Dame, he has the chance to be the best quarterback signing they've had in a decade. If you're Marcus Freeman, you have to be super excited about that." — Rivals director of scouting and rankings Charles Power