Skip to main content
Notre Dame

Newsstand: Andy Staples names two Notre Dame players Heisman Trophy dark horse candidates

Kyle Kellyby: Kyle Kelly07/22/25ByKyleKelly
jlove
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

Notre Dame has two dark horse candidates to win the Heisman Trophy, according to On3 college football reporter Andy Staples. 

On Monday, Staples named Fighting Irish redshirt quarterback CJ Carr and junior running back Jeremiyah Love two of his eight possible Heisman dark horses. According to BetMGM, Carr and Love’s odds are +4500 and +4800, respectively.

Seven players have won the Heisman Trophy in program history. The last was senior wide receiver Tim Brown in 1987. 

If Carr were to capture college football’s most coveted award, he would have done so without having thrown a pass before his second season. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound signal-caller from Saline, Mich., enters the summer battling for the starting quarterback position with redshirt sophomore Kenny Minchey. 

Meanwhile, Love is widely regarded as one of the game’s top talents. Last season, he broke out with 163 carries for 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns, and 28 catches for 237 yards and 2 more scores. He is looking to become the first running back to win the Heisman since Alabama’s Derrick Henry in 2015. 

For a detailed look at Saples’ list, click here. 

Notre Dame Posts of the Day

Irish 2026 class four-star running back commit Jonaz Walton out of Carrollton (Ga.) Central squatted 600 pounds. 

Former Irish baseball player Estevan Moreno signed with the Seattle Mariners over the weekend.

Irish 2027 class four-star quarterback target Teddy Jarrard out of Kennesaw (Ga.) North Cobb announced his commitment date with Rivals national recruiting reporter Hayes Fawcett. 

Notre Dame Quote of the Day

“Going to play for the natty I think was really important to a lot of the kids.”

— Rivals national recruiting reporter Adam Gorney on the Irish’s success on the recruiting trail.

Notre Dame Headlines of the Day

You may also like