David Pollack names quarterback as Notre Dame's biggest question in 2025

Quarterback Riley Leonard excelled in his lone year at Notre Dame in 2024, passing for 2,861 yards, 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also rushed for 906 yards and 17 touchdowns. His stellar play led the Fighting Irish to the National Championship game for the first time since 2013, where they fell to Ohio State 34-23.

Leonard however departed after his fourth year of college football and was selected in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, leaving an open vacancy at the position this season for Marcus Freeman‘s team.

Due to the uncertainty, college football analyst David Pollack picked the Notre Dame quarterback position as his concern for the Irish heading into the 2025 season on his “See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack” podcast.

“I think both sides of the line of scrimmage I trust,” Pollack said. “Al Golden being gone is a big question mark that I think you can put on that list because I thought he was one of the best defensive coordinators in college football, which is a big deal. I think to me though its quarterback. We can talk about all the different things. Like, you’re not replacing experience. You’re not replacing a QB. You’re replacing the heartbeat of your squad.”

Pollack says replacing Leonard ‘is not going to be easy’

“He was everything. If you watched the National Championship game, the first drive dude had like 11 carries and was puking on the sidelines to go get it in the house. He was the heartbeat and the short yardage guy. He made [Jeremiyah] Love better. He wasn’t the greatest passer in the world but he was exactly what they were and who they were. To me, I know Riley Leonard is not an NFL starting quarterback probably but he was a college warrior. Replacing him is not going to be easy.”

Leonard’s departure leaves redshirt freshman CJ Carr and redshirt sophomore Kenny Minchey as the two competitors for the starting spot this season. Carr has yet to take a collegiate snap, while Minchey has attempted just three career passes. Freeman commented on the QB battle earlier this month.

“I learned early in my career, don’t put a timetable on it,” Freeman said via Golic & Golic. “When we’re confident that the starter is clearly defined, then we’ll name that starter. It could be after the summer. It could be after the first practice, it could be — again, I don’t love the thought of going into the first game without naming a starter, but if we have to wait, we will. I don’t think we will. But, you know, I think, how do we put them in situations where they’re competitive situations where they have to execute? And at the end of the day, who’s executed? Who’s putting our offense in a position to have success?”

The Fighting Irish open their 2025 season at Miami on August 31.