"I felt more of a pulling to be there": Irish legend Brady Quinn opens up about biggest 'differentiator' between Ohio State & ND

Former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, an iconic figure from 2003 to 2006, opened up about the unique factors that drew him to Notre Dame over Ohio State.

In an interview with The Irish Scoop, shared via their official X account on Thursday, Quinn explained how his faith and personal values played a pivotal role in his college decision.

“It's hard to explain to people, unless like you've been a Notre Dame, unless you went there, you kind of go, ‘oh OK,’” Quinn said. “It's like very different, like there's just a different feel from it, and academically it's what I wanted, and spiritually was what I wanted.

“I don't open up and say that a bunch, but like I felt more of like a pulling to be there to develop, like as a man spiritually too. I thought that was the biggest differentiator between Ohio State, or even Michigan, which I looked at really hard.”

Looking ahead to Monday night’s national championship clash between Notre Dame and Ohio State in Atlanta, Quinn acknowledged the uphill battle for the Fighting Irish. Speaking on Greg McElroy’s "Always College Football" podcast on Tuesday, he highlighted the critical challenge for Notre Dame.

“The hardest thing for Notre Dame in this game is going to be stopping the run,” Quinn said. “You see how dynamic TreVeyon Henderson is, and you know how good Quinshon Judkins is.

“For me, it’s about stopping the run first. If they don’t, you allow (Ohio State offensive coordinator) Chip Kelly to pick whatever he wants from that play sheet, and then you’re going to be in trouble.”

Notre Dame enters the game as an underdog but has proven resilient in high-stakes matchups. All eyes will be fixated on Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta as the Fighting Irish seek to upset the Buckeyes in their quest for a national title.

Brady Quinn on Notre Dame's strong financial support

Brady Quinn sees Notre Dame thriving in the NIL era. The former Fighting Irish quarterback told ESPN analyst Greg McElroy that despite Notre Dame's traditionally cautious approach, the program has attracted strong financial support.

“NIL has been good to Notre Dame,” Brady Quinn said. “There’s a lot of people who stepped up at a time — Notre Dame tends to be more conservative. They don’t want to be a first mover in some of these things out there that are new and different.

“I would say this: there’s a lot of people who stepped up and supported the program.”

The results show in Notre Dame's successful transfer portal acquisitions for 2025, landing eight key players:

Wide Receivers:

• Malachi Fields (Virginia)
• Will Pauling (Wisconsin)

Defense:

• Devonta Smith (Alabama, defensive back)
• Jared Dawson (Louisville, defensive line)
• Jalen Stroman (Virginia Tech, safety)
• Elijah Hughes (USC, defensive line)

Additional Transfers:

• Ty Washington (Arkansas, tight end)
• Noah Brunette (North Carolina, kicker)