Why Notre Dame QB Kenny Minchey is focused on personal development over meeting others’ expectations
At the college football Power Five level, finding a freshman quarterback to push a sixth-year veteran, nonetheless, the ACC’s all-time touchdown thrower, Sam Hartman, is far-fetched. And Notre Dame first-year passer Kenny Minchey is no exception.
However, competing for the role of backing up a super senior signal-caller in case of injury is much more feasible. So, that’s the challenge first-year Fighting Irish quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli gave Minchey going into training camp.
His competition? Redshirt freshman Steve Angeli, who held that role for games three through 13 last season. He backed up former first-teamer Drew Pyne.
Since Angeli enrolled at Notre Dame in 2022, a year before Minchey’s arrival, there’s been plenty of movement in the program’s quarterback room. Last season’s initial starting quarterback was Tyler Buchner. He beat out Pyne during last fall camp before eventually being lost for the remainder of the regular season in week two. Buchner miraculously reappeared as the starter for the Gator Bowl in January.
Buchner started that game because Pyne entered the transfer portal following the regular season and picked Arizona State. Just before Angeli’s second spring ball session and Minchey’s first, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Tommy Rees bolted for Alabama in February. Buchner followed him about 10 weeks later.
Instead of the Irish countering Bucner’s transfer with a portal addition, Guidugli and company stuck by Angeli and Minchey. Now, they are the only two scholarship passers behind Hartman. And that’s where this year’s preseason camp quarterback battle occurs — even if Minchey declined to acknowledge it.
“I would say I don’t really pay attention to that,” Minchey told reporters on Sunday. “I just pay attention to myself, try to be the best version of myself, and just take the practice reps I have to try and execute as best I can and worry less about where I’m at on the depth chart or just trying to focus on myself.”
A glimpse at Minchey’s journey to Notre Dame
Before enrolling at Notre Dame in January, Minchey held the post as Hendersonville (Tenn.) Pope John Paul II’s starting quarterback for the last three seasons. He played his senior season as a verbally committed Pittsburgh recruit, only to flip to Notre Dame on Nov. 22 — 11 days after his senior campaign concluded.
Minchey missed most of his senior season with a complicated injury in his throwing shoulder suffered midway through week four. He returned for the playoffs eight weeks later, only to reaggravate the injury three drives into the second round.
He was supposed to overcome it for the All-American Bowl in January. However, Minchey shut things down until Notre Dame’s spring practice kicked off in late March.
That appeared to be the right call. Joining the program in the spring gave him a headstart in operating first-year coordinator Gerad Parker’s offense. And ultimately also positioned him to compete for Notre Dame’s backup quarterback spot in the summer.
“I feel a little bit more comfortable than in the spring,” Minchey said. “In the spring, like, I would have said I had a good grasp on it, but now it’s actually making more sense, and I understand why we’re running each play and the purpose of each play. So it’s all coming together, I think. …
“I would say it started to slow down compared to spring. … If you’d asked me in the spring, I would have said I had a good grasp on the offense. But I feel like it’s actually clicking now with more reps and just more time in the coach’s office and just talking about quarterbacks. I’m definitely getting more adjusted to it.”
How Hartman has helped guide Minchey during Notre Dame’s preseason camp
While Hartman arrived at Notre Dame in January with five years of collegiate experience, he had to use Angeli as a reference to become acclimated to the offense. Although last year’s offensive coordinator, Rees — who courted Hartman to South Bend — left, Parker’s offense should not stray too far away from last year’s model … at least in year one.
Regardless, Hartman was not exactly Minchey’s best reference for schematics during the spring. But his veteran leadership on and off the field has been.
“I would say it’s easy to lean on (Hartman) because of his experience, and him being more mature than a number of guys in the locker room,” Minchey said, “and being able to go to him with questions on football or not with football and just having an elder in the locker room that’s more comfortable to talk to you then maybe a coach or something.”
Now that Hartman has a better hold of the offense, he has taken on a more instructive role in the film room. That has also benefitted Minchey.
“I feel like he’s a big resource because he’s more so like another coach on staff,” Minchey said. “I’d say if Gino’s not in the film room with us, Sam will take the reins and just kind of go through and give us kind of the same feedback that Gino would give us or the same coaching points, I’d say. It’s good to have someone with that type of experience and that maturity.”
When Hartman enrolled at Notre Dame, he brought with him a gunslinger’s mentality. Last season at Wake Forest, his 13.71 yards per completion ranked 14th out of 112 qualified quarterbacks. That was also seventh among Power Five passers.
At Pope John Paul II, Minchey’s average yards per competition was 15 yards for his career. That mark would’ve ranked second in the FBS last season. But replicating that success at the collegiate level is a much more daunting challenge. And Hartman has helped Minchey prepare for it when it comes.
“I would say, if it’s maybe a concept I’m not familiar with or anything, I’d ask him ‘what’s going through his brain on this play’ or something like that,” Mickey said. “Because I know he’s able to kind of alert what coverages the defense is in and to know when that shot is available to take on the field.”
Minchey making connections with the other freshman receivers
With just him and Angeli as the only two scholarship QBs on the roster behind Hartman, Minchey has received plenty of practice reps — mostly with the third team. The third-string offense consists mostly of freshman wide receivers, which has helped him establish a rapport with his future pass catchers.
“I would say, during the spring, I clicked with Jaden Greathouse and Rico Flores,” he said. “They were guys that I could depend on, and they were guys that I liked to throw to. Then during this fall camp Jordan Faison, he’s a walk-on receiver. He’s been making a lot of plays, and he’s really fast, so I feel like he’s been catching everybody’s eye.”
Ideally, for Notre Dame, it won’t have to trot out Minchey and the freshman receivers together unless it’s for reps late in the fourth quarter of a lopsided game or perhaps until next season. After all, Minchey is not overly enthusiastic about his college career kicking off overseas. For as much as he likes putting air under his passes, he does not approve of airfare travel.
“I was actually thinking about the other day,” he said. “It actually popped into my head, like I’m actually going to Ireland, which I’m not a big fan of planes and flying overseas. We’ll see how it goes. … I flew to Mexico, and I wasn’t a fan of that.”
Next season, Minchey will seemingly have to fly to College Station, Texas, to play Texas A&M — a school that recruited him late in the process — week one. He could be Notre Dame’s starting quarterback. Or backing up Angeli. Or someone completely different. But he’s not concerned about the depth chart outcome this year or next. He’s only worried about becoming the best Kenny Minchey.
“I would say that’s not my main focus,” he said. “I’m moreso focused on myself and trying to be the best version of myself and focusing on my reps. I’m not too worried about where I’m at on the depth chart. I’m just trying to be the best version of myself.”
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