Notre Dame football dodged a big bullet this past week when 2025 quarterback commit Deuce Knight stayed committed despite a massive push from Auburn. While that was a momentary break in Auburn’s momentum, they still have a good chance at flipping the Mississippi native if they remain patient to Knight’s timeline. If they aren’t patient, there is a chance they move on to other options.
Even if Auburn does move on, the Knight situation is not over. Other schools are, and will continue to push. While Notre Dame should continue to fight for Knight, planning for the worst case would be wise. They should have backup plans ready, and actionable. Here are a few quarterbacks I would have on my radar if the spot does come open at some point.
Bear Bachmeier - Murrieta (Calif.) Valley
This name should be very familiar to Notre Dame fans. At one time, it was a great debate between who wanted to commit to the Irish first, Knight or Bachmeier. With how things ended, it is probably somewhat unrealistic that Notre Dame can turn back to Bachmeier and hope to flip him from Stanford. But you will never know until you try.
Bachmeier is a powerfully-built dual threat quarterback at 6-1.5 and 225 pounds. He is a smooth thrower, who does his best work attacking down the field. As a runner, Bachmeier is also a major threat. As a junior, the California signal caller threw for 2,613 yards and 21 touchdowns, adding another 631 yards and seven scores on the ground.
Bryce Baker - Kernersville (N.C.) East Forsyth
Baker has been a hot name on the recruiting trail, putting together a very strong performance at the Elite 11 earlier this offseason. Despite being committed to North Carolina since June of last year, teams haven’t stopped recruiting Baker. The Florida Gators even offered him recently, and more should be coming to the table.
The 6-2.5, 195-pound passer is an extremely gifted athlete, who doubles as a big time basketball player for East Forsyth. Baker is a nice runner, but don’t get it twisted, this is an extremely gifted thrower of the football. The North Carolina star has some of the easiest velocity in the class, possessing one of the highest upsides of any quarterback in the class. Notre Dame has also been tapping into the North Carolina pipeline recently with players like Bryce Young, Micah Gilbert, and Jack Larsen, so that can’t hurt.
Lloyd Jones III - Hitchcock (Texas) High School
Jones is by far one of the more underrated quarterbacks in the 2025 recruiting class. He is a tremendous athlete who put together a great year for Hitchcock in 2023. That included throwing for 2,735 yards and 35 touchdowns. Jones also added another 655 yards and 13 scores on the ground. That dual threat element is something that Notre Dame was looking for in this class.
At 6-2.5 and 210 pounds, Jones also brings a bigger frame to continue to develop. He committed to Texas Tech last November, but has still been open to other schools. That includes a visit to Texas A&M this offseason. While Jones might not be a player who will be ready to go super early on in his career, the long term upside is really exciting.
Related: How does Tennessee pass rusher James Pearce Jr. stack up against some past NFL Draft prospects?
Grayson Wilson - Maumelle (Ark.) Conway
Committed to Arkansas since last April, Wilson is a signal caller that has largely gone under the radar from the national perspective. On film, there is a lot to like with the 6-3, 205-pound standout. During his junior year, he passed for 3,413 yards and 41 touchdowns. Wilson also ran for 837 yards and 15 more scores. That is a total of 56 touchdowns, while throwing just two interceptions.
The competition he’s playing might not be super strong, but Wilson dominated it. He has the requisite size, arm strength, and overall athleticism to develop into a really nice college quarterback. Wilson is definitely worth keeping a close eye on.
Zebulin Kinsey - Toronto (Oh.) High School
This is a big sleeper in the 2025 class, but one that Notre Dame fans wouldn’t be overly excited about. Then you pop on the film, and those options could change a bit. At 6-3 plus and 217 pounds, Kinsey is a very gifted player who plays against a lower level of competition in Ohio. You can see a talented thrower on film, and a good straight line athlete with a lot of physicality. There are some clear tools to work with.
Kinsey is currently committed to the University of Cincinnati, and has been since last November, opting for the Bearcats over Oklahoma State and West Virginia. As a sophomore, Kinsey was hurt in the third game of the season. In that limited game action, he threw for 482 yards and six touchdowns, while also rushing for over 200 yards and another score. Kinsey’s offer list may be very expensive if not for that injury. The kid can play.
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