Notre Dame Standout CJ Carr Named To The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List
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One of the most premier positions in all of sports is the starting quarterback. This is shaping up to be a stellar year for quarterback play at the collegiate level and Notre Dame starting quarterback CJ Carr is one of those premier players. The Saline, Michigan native has garnered a lot of attention this offseason being named to several preseason All-American teams and selected on several preseason award watch lists.
This afternoon, the Johnny Unitas Golden Golden Arm Award released their watch list ahead of the 2026 season and the 6-2, 215-pound Fighting Irish signal caller was named. This award is presented to the nation's top upperclassman quarterback in college football annually and values on the field success combined with the player's character, educational achievements and leadership qualities.
Carr has garnered a lot of offseason recognition as well. He's routinely been considered one of the top returning signal callers in the country and has a lot of lofty expectations this fall. With the departures of stars and key players on offense, the Saline, Michigan native is expected to be a primary driver of success this season. The 6-2, 215-pound quarterback shattered the program record in passer rating last season and helped engineer their 10-game win streak to end the season.
Carr is coming off of his first year under center. He went 10-2 as a starter in 2025, threw for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns, six interceptions and rushed for an additional three scores. The 6-2, 215-pound signal caller is the first returning starter head coach Marcus Freeman has had during his tenure. Expectations for the Fighting Irish are sky-high coming into this year and Carr is a major driver of that conversation.
Among all returning Power Four signal callers, Carr was ranked No. 1 in yards per completion (14.06) and ranked second in yards per attempt (9.35) and touchdown rate (8.2%). We've seen the Michigan native make big time throws on the big stage and the moment hasn't been too big for the junior quarterback. There's areas he will have to continue to improve, but he's projected to be one of the best quarterbacks in the country in 2026.
There have only been two winners in Notre Dame's program history to take home the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. In 2006, Brady Quinn took home this award while Tony Rice won it back in 1989 for his performance on one of the most talented Notre Dame football teams of the Lou Holtz era. There are a lot of expectations around Carr this season, but if he plays to his potential, he could truly be in contention to take home this heralded award.
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