Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM FEBRUARY 2026 33 BY MIKE SINGER I n early December, Blue & Gold Il- lustrated reported that Kennesaw (Ga.) North Cobb's Teddy Jarrard was "strongly considering" a reclassifica- tion from the 2027 to 2026 class. On Dec. 19, he got the green light to offi- cially do so. Jarrard will sign with the Fight- ing Irish on Feb. 4, which is the tradi- tional National Signing Day on the first Wednesday in February. The four-star prospect will enroll at Notre Dame in June. He'll join Notre Dame's 2026 class, which was ranked No. 2 in the Rivals Industry Team Rankings as of Jan. 5, and be the second quarterback in the class along with Lake Mary (Fla.) High three- star passer Noah Grubbs. "With Teddy in general he's ready," Teddy's father, Jerry, previously told Ri- vals' Steve Wiltfong about the potential of a reclassification. "When I say he's ready, he's ready from a high school kid perspective. "Not many places have a coach like Coach Freeman. That stands out from the rest. You want to go to a place with a great head coach, a great coaching staff, and they've been great to me." Jarrard committed to the Irish on June 24, just weeks after Notre Dame of- fered him a scholarship. He picked Mar- cus Freeman's program over Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State. As a class of 2027 recruit, Jarrard was the No. 5 quarterback and No. 79 overall player in America according to Rivals. But after his reclassification, Jarrard checked in as the No. 17 signal-caller and No. 242 overall prospect nationally in the 2026 class. 247 Sports views him as a three-star prospect and the No. 29 quarterback in the land. It is Blue & Gold Illustrated's under- standing that the thought behind Jar- rard's reclassification is that CJ Carr will likely be off to the NFL Draft after his redshirt sophomore season, leaving the Irish with a void at quarterback for the 2027 season. Jarrard will compete with Grubbs and Blake Hebert, who will be a redshirt sophomore that year, if all goes to plan. R iva l s d i re c to r o f sco u t i n g a n d rankings Charles Power's research in May 2025 reported that the track re- cord of quarterback reclassifications is "spotty." "Blue-chip quarterbacks who have reclassified have struggled to live up to the expectations of being a highly touted signal-caller, with the majority struggling to find a foothold at a Power Four program," Power wrote. "Eight of nine quarterback reclassifications from the 2016-23 recruiting cycles trans- ferred at least once. Six of nine trans- ferred out of the Power Four to a Group of Five or FCS program. "One of nine has been drafted thus far (Quinn Ewers of Texas, seventh round in 2025)." Jarrard will try to be Notre Dame's starter as a redshirt freshman in 2027 and buck the trend, and he may not be one to doubt. "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." 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, last offseason. In 12 contests as a junior, Jarrard con- nected on 174 of 268 passes for 2,292 yards with 18 touchdowns and just 5 in- terceptions. North Cobb fell in the sec- ond round of the Georgia 6A playoffs. During his sophomore season in 2024, Jarrard threw for 2,783 yards with 34 touchdowns and a 72 percent comple- tion percentage. He was named the Georgia High School Association Re- gion 7-AA Offensive Player of the Year and to the 2024 All-Cobb County first- team offense. He had a strong freshman campaign, completing 153 of 260 passes for 2,065 yards with 18 touchdowns and 11 in- terceptions. Recruit Georgia listed him as a 2023 Class 2A all-state honorable mention. "Jarrard is smooth operator and de- cisive quarterback," BGI's Tyler James wrote on BlueandGold.com. "He trusts his arm to put the ball where he wants it and his receivers' ability to make plays down the field. He showed improved athleticism as a scrambler in his junior season. "Jarrard throws the football with tre- mendous touch. He repeatedly puts the ball precisely in the best location for his receiver to catch it. That's what makes him so tantalizing as a prospect. He makes throws that elicit positive reac- tions from anyone watching. "Jarrard completes passes in rhythm with excellent timing. That can be seen in his run-pass-option [RPO] throws and screen passes that need to be de- livered with a certain urgency. Though he's decisive with his throws, he doesn't rush himself into a decision either." ✦ Junior Quarterback Commit Teddy Jarrard Reclassifies To The 2026 Class F O O T B A L L RECRUITING Jarrard, the No. 5 quarterback and No. 79 overall player nationally among juniors per Rivals, is now considered the No. 17 signal-caller and No. 242 overall prospect in the class of 2026. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS