Everyone loves to do a player countdown for Notre Dame as we face toward the college football season, but in all fairness, the offseason is much shorter than you think. It’s really only two months in the grand scheme of things, and there will be much more to talk about in the middle of July with media days — so why not deal with the profiles before then?
Welcome to the Triple Threat series. We will profile every player on Notre Dame’s roster, but I’m going to give you three at a time to save some time. Every Triple Threat post will include one offensive player, one defensive player, and one newcomer (freshman or transfer) until we have to do some different combos down the road.
So let’s get started with today’s Triple Threat:
QB CJ Carr #13
DB Christian Gray #29
K Spencer Porath #35
CJ CARR #13
The world may not have been on the shoulders of CJ Carr when he arrived at Notre Dame, but the hopes of Notre Dame Nation certainly were. After years of one and done transfer portal quarterbacks, and high profile recruiting losses — Notre Dame got their man. Carr had to earn the starting job, but after a spring and fall camp battle with Kenny Minchey, he was tabbed as THE man for 2025.
Carr had a really good 2025 season, and right now he’s the odds on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy in 2026. He has all of the tools needed to be a great college quarterback with a strong arm and good understanding of the offense, but he’s got more to him than just physical traits. Carr is a leader and his teammates want to play with him — because he just has that “IT” factor that is hard to quantify, but you see it when you see it on the field.
CHRISTIAN GRAY #29
There’s a love hate relationship Notre Dame fans have with Christian Gray that matches his hot and cold playing style. Thought three years Gray has amassed 46 tackles, 22 passes defended, 6 interceptions, and a forced fumble. Gray’s story isn’t about stats, however, it’s about his own evolution into Notre Dame’s Rocky Balboa. No matter how many times he gets knocked down, he finds a way to dig down and hit back harder. Some of Notre Dame’s biggest defensive plays over the last few years are because of Christian Gray.
Gray’s role as the field corner is likely to change in 2026. Notre Dame added Colorado cornerback DJ McKinney from the transfer portal, and Gray made a major move over to the nickel this spring. Gray fully embraced the opportunity at nickel this spring, and for as important as the position is for the Irish — that’s good news for 2026.
SPENCER PORATH #35
Spencer Porath spent his first two seasons of college football with the Purdue Boilermakers. Take a deep breath and appreciate that he has been through the fire in West Lafayette. During those two seasons, Porath was a perfect 41-41 on PAT’s and 22-28 in field goals which included being 6-8 from 40+ yards.
Porath is definitely one of the biggest transfer additions for Notre Dame. The Irish desperately needed help at the kicker position after the debacles of 2025. Every field goal attempt and every extra point attempt had ND Nation holding its collective breath, but after a strong spring for Porath — we’re pretty sure we got our man to do the job in South Bend.