It did not take former football coach Urban Meyer , who last coached in the college ranks at Ohio State, more than 15 minutes to criticize the Notre Dame football program on the debut episode of The Triple Option podcast with Big Noon kickoff host Rob Stone and analyst Mark Ingram .
Stone began the first episode on Wednesday by running through the top 10 teams in the preseason AP Poll . When he landed on the Fighting Irish, who opened the season at No. 7, Stone teed Meyer up to comment on Notre Dame starting transfer quarterbacks three times within the last four years.
“I just get confused,” Meyer said. “I don’t quite understand. Marcus Freeman is a hell of a coach, hell of a person. … He treats us great. I’ve known him for a long time.
“But how, at Notre Dame, do you keep going to Wake Forest and Duke to go get your quarterback? Those are fine players — nothing against Sam Hartman , the transfer last year. (He) had a good season. Riley Leonard this year from Duke — once again, a good player. But you’re Notre Dame?”
Meyer noted that within the last 10 years, only one national champion had a transfer quarterback, LSU in 2019. That signal-caller was Joe Burrow , who Meyer recruited at Ohio State . However, Burrow transferred out after three years in Columbus and ended up winning the College Football Playoff at the helm for the Tigers in 2019.
“I guess I’m old school and starting to change a little bit, but to win it all, I think you have to have a quarterback that’s been there,” Meyer said, “represents your school, that gets everybody together nonstop and has great relationships.
“Until that happens — I think Notre Dame is going to be a good team, a really good team. They recruit great players. It’s a great place. …. But the second part of that is, ‘Has the expectations changed at Notre Dame?’
“When I was there with Lou Holtz , it was always national championship or bust. I’m not sure that’s the standard anymore. And I hope they get back to that. I think they can.”
Meyer went on to use Dublin (Ohio) Dublin Coffman quarterback Brady Quinn as an example of the type of player the Irish should target as a recruit and develop him into the starting quarterback.
“You need to go get you an All-American,” Meyer said. “That Brady Quinn. Coach him up and let him build that culture for three years.”
Wednesday was not the first time Meyer has taken a dig at Irish quarterback recruiting.
Last August, he once again knocked Notre Dame’s efforts on Urban’s Take with Tim May .
“I still am amazed that Notre Dame’s gotta go to Wake Forest to get a transfer quarterback,” Meyer said. “That doesn’t equate to me. Now, he’s a great player. But Notre Dame’s gotta go recruit them a five-star and they should have one, two and three excellent quarterbacks because it’s Notre Dame.
“Ohio State and those top blue-blood teams, you should be in the mix on every top quarterback in America to get ’em.”
Luckily for Meyer, the Irish have one waiting in the wings. In the 2024 cycle, the Irish signed four-star CJ Carr , who the On3 Industry Ranking considers the No. 67 overall player and No. 5 quarterback in his class.
Then, in the next class, Lucedale (Miss.) George Country’s Deuce Knight still remains committed despite high pressure from Auburn to flip. Knight is the No. 33 overall player and No. 7 quarterback in the 2025 recruiting cycle.
In 2026, Lake Mary (Fla.) High four-star passer Noah Grubbs pledged to the Irish on June 1. Grubbs is the No. 121 overall player and No. 10 quarterback in the class.
So, when Meyer appears on a podcast this time next year, he likely will no longer have the chance to dog Notre Dame’s quarterback recruiting efforts. His only angle left is that Carr is a Michigan legacy.
The post Urban Meyer criticizes Notre Dame football’s quarterback recruiting … again appeared first on On3 .
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