It seemed Notre Dame was down and out in regards to recruiting a top-flight quarterback for the 2023 class. An expected commitment by third-ranked quarterback Dante Moore reneged in July as Moore changed course and committed to Oregon, then flipped to UCLA. Since Notre Dame had put all their faith in Moore, other top recruits — such as Kenny Minchey — committed elsewhere. Nevertheless, the Irish recruiting staff was slowly working on Minchey behind the scenes after the loss of Moore. There was never an indication that they were going to be able to secure his flip from the University of Pittsburgh to Notre Dame until Minchey decided to give the Irish another chance.
“Minchey sat down with his family and decided Notre Dame deserved a more honest look,” Rivals Notre Dame recruiting analyst Kyle Kelly said. “Marcus Freeman, Tommy Rees, all those guys, turned up the heat and they flipped him after he visited campus for the iconic Boston College game.”
Many felt the 6-foot-3 Tennessee native had the best showing at the Elite 11 QB Camp in June. The camp was attended by QB luminaries such as Moore, and other former ND recruits Jackson Arnold (Oklahoma), Austin Novosad (Baylor) and Chris Vizzina (Clemson).
According to Rival, Minchey is the 11th-ranked quarterback in the nation and the 207th player overall. His 5.8/6.1 Rivals ranking makes him a four-star recruit and an “All-American candidate.” Minchey threw for 3,280 yards and 32 touchdowns in a breakout junior season, completing 61.3 percent of passes. He missed time during his senior season due to a shoulder injury but threw for 11 touchdowns in four regular-season games.
“He’s a pass-first quarterback, but he can run as well,” Kelly said. “People have compared him to DeShone Kizer in his onfield makeup. He’s a pretty prolific passer and an outstanding addition to this class.”
Minchey will add a level of stardom to the quarterback room. Combined with the return of Tyler Buchner, true freshman Steve Angeli and the potential for a new transfer, Minchey provides the Irish with a solid quarterback lineup for the foreseeable future. He also has the potential to win the starting job in 2023.
“It is absolutely a huge win to get a quarterback from this class, and a really talented one at that,” Kelly said.
Contact Madeline Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu
