CFB insider claims "next Joe Burrow" of college football is already playing for Notre Dame

Modified Apr 03, 2025 02:14 GMT

NCAA Football: CFP National Championship-Notre Dame Practice - Source: Imagn

The next star quarterback of college football is playing at Notre Dame, if an NFL insider is to be believed.

On the latest episode of the Always College Football podcast, host Greg McElroy, a former Alabama quarterback, highlighted Fighting Irish quarterback Steve Angeli as a player who could become the "next Joe Burrow".

“I’ve seen Steve Angeli thrust into action against a ferocious pass rush in Penn State and one of the best defenses in the country," McElroy said. "I saw Steve Angeli go into the lineup and just methodically right down the field. Accurately carving up a defense."

"Who’s to say Steve Angeli’s ceiling, when the real lights are on, isn’t outrageously high? “…What if, when we fast forward to this year, Steve Angeli has some awakening? And all of a sudden, he’s the second coming of Joe Burrow.”

Steve Angeli has spent the last three seasons on the bench for the Fighting Irish, being the backup quarterback — first to Sam Hartman and then to Riley Leonard.

He has made just one career start (a 2024 Sun Bowl win over Oregon State) and last season, he threw for 268 yards and three touchdowns.

Now, Angeli is likely to be Notre Dame’s starting quarterback in 2025, giving him a long-awaited chance to prove himself and develop as a player.

Marcus Freeman on the next Notre Dame quarterback

While Angeli is the assumed favorite to start for Notre Dame, coach Marcus Freeman has not committed to a decision.

When asked at his season-opening press conference when he plans to name a starter, Freeman said:

"We’ll name a starter when a starter clearly shows that he's the best quarterback. I don't want to put a timetable on it, and I refuse to do that.”

The quarterback competition is a three-way battle between Angeli, CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey.

Whoever wins the job will face high expectations, as Notre Dame looks to return to the National Championship Game, where the team fell to the Ohio State Buckeyes last season.

About the author

Ben Tredinnick is a journalist who covers college football and college basketball at Sportskeeda who is currently studying for a masters in Data Science. His degree in Psychology has helped him gain an in-depth understanding of the minds of coaches.

Ben has been involved in sports writing since 2022 and covered the NFL previously. His strengths include providing in-depth profiles of athletes and coaches, with a particular focus on development, and looking at which teams could be in the hunt for today's college stars.

Ben enjoys following college sports more than the NBA or NFL because there is more variation in terms of playstyles. The tournaments are often more competitive than the major leagues, and due to the constant turnover of players, there are rarely any "superteams" in college sports.

He prioritizes research, looks at multiple sources and publications to make sure he gets the full picture of the story before writing. He tries not to write from a one-sided perspective to allow the reader to be able to make their mind up on their own.

A Texas Longhorns fan, as well as a massive New York Giants fan, some of his favorite college players of all time are Arch Manning, Tim Tebow and Reggie Bush.

When he is not working, Ben enjoys watching films (especially Godzilla) and spending time with his cat.

Know More

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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro