Notre Dame's CJ Carr Joins, Fernando Mendoza Goes #1, plus Nachos Boosting NIL

Summary

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The Triple Option

Podcast Episode Summary:

Episode Title: Notre Dame's CJ Carr Joins, Fernando Mendoza Goes #1, plus Nachos Boosting NIL

Release Date: April 29, 2026
Hosts: Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram II, Rob Stone
Guest: C.J. Carr (Notre Dame Quarterback)

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Episode Overview

In this episode, The Triple Option dives into three key topics reshaping the football landscape:

• Name, Image, Likeness (NIL): The creative (and sometimes controversial) new ways schools are raising NIL funds—including asking fans to "round up" their concession bills.
• Changing Facilities and Finances: Massive stadium investments, the evolution in how facilities are used for recruiting and revenue, and what truly matters to today’s players.
• Player Spotlights: Notre Dame's CJ Carr discusses his Notre Dame experience, leadership, the impact of losing two star running backs, and life under Coach Marcus Freeman. The team also analyzes Fernando Mendoza going #1 overall in the NFL Draft—what makes him special, and whether the Raiders can help him succeed.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. NIL Fundraising and the "Round Up" Concession Trend

• [03:00-06:10] The hosts discuss Ohio State and other schools introducing "round up" fundraising at concession stands, where fans can donate the change on their purchase toward school NIL funds.

  • Rob Stone: “They’re now trying to nickel and dime you at the concession stand as well... to donate to the school. The donation for NIL.”
  • Urban Meyer: Notes the lack of regulation in NIL: “There are zero rules right now. None.”
  • Mark Ingram II: Raises practical concerns—will this actually pay for $40 million rosters?
  • Humorous moment [12:24]: Mark imagines visiting fans being asked to "round up." "They're gonna be like, 'Can I round down?'"

• Urban questions the sustainability of current practices, referencing previous warnings about unsustainability being “wrong,” as schools continue to invest massive amounts despite these alarms.

  • Urban Meyer, recalling Jay Bilas: "We've been hearing that for 40 years. Of course it's sustainable."

2. Facilities: More about Revenue, Less about Recruitment

• [06:20-10:37] Shift in the priorities regarding facilities, from athlete-first to revenue-generation for schools:
  • Meyer: Focused more on investing in people (performance staff, PTs, nutritionists) over bells and whistles. Believes exceptional training environments outweigh luxury.
    • “I was more about the people than the silliness of some of the … pools and slides... I'd just make sure we had the best of the best for our players.”
  • Ingram: Echoes the changing priorities:
    • "Kids aren’t wrong. Capitalize on the chance that you have to make this money, and that’s what they’re going to do… Now, it’s all about the bottom line.”
    • Young players overwhelmingly care about NIL dollars over flashy locker rooms or training tables.
  • Renovating existing stadiums—especially for premium seating and suites—has become a donor- and revenue-driven game, rather than a recruiting one.

3. The Escalation of NIL and College Football Economics

• [10:37-13:18] “We’re hearing of $40 million rosters. There are literally zero rules. You’ll see $50 million rosters soon,” warns Urban. Mark and Rob joke about the futility of rounding up change to cover massive NIL budgets.

• All agree on the money arms race:

  • “There’s plenty of money in college football, and administrators will do what they gots to do.” (Rob Stone, [06:09])
  • “Just win baby, just win.” (Urban Meyer [13:18])

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Featured Interview: Notre Dame QB C.J. Carr

4. C.J. Carr on Committing to Notre Dame, Facilities, and Program Culture

[16:07-30:53]

The Recruitment Journey

• Decision Process:
  • Carr grew up a Michigan legacy, but thorough family tours with his father led him to fall in love with Notre Dame, especially under Coach Marcus Freeman’s leadership.
  • “There’s a different type of aura around Notre Dame… it just felt more like home.” ([17:11])
• Facilities:
  • Urban compares present-day Notre Dame (top facilities and substantial investments) to the under-resourced, tradition-heavy days of his time there.
  • CJ Carr: “We’re building a new locker room, weight room facility right now… it’s amazing. We got training table. Yes. There are phones.”
• Marcus Freeman’s Impact:
  • CJ credits Freeman's passion and recruiting honesty, especially in influencing his mother: “Coach Free just does such a great job of capturing Notre Dame … I just knew my mom, the second she heard him talk about Notre Dame … it was over.” ([23:11])

Football, Leadership, and the 2026 Season

• Replacing Star Running Backs:
  • Loss of Jeremiah Love and Jadarian Price is tough, but Carr is optimistic about new talent: “They’re gonna surprise a lot of people… might not think that we can bring a J.D. and a J. Love aspect of our game back, but I think we can.” ([21:15])
• Handling Expectations (Heisman Hype):
  • Mark asks about being a preseason Heisman favorite.
    • Carr: “It really doesn’t mean anything to me, and it doesn’t mean anything to this program until we get to go out and play Wisconsin Week 1 and carry on momentum week in, week out. Team glory is what we’re after.” ([25:45])
• Keeping Focus, Not Revenge:
  • On the idea of a “revenge tour” after missing the playoff:
    “We’re worried about ourselves, not anyone else… We want to keep the pain from not making the playoffs, but use that to just propel us forward.” ([26:49])
• Leadership and Team Mentality:
  • Emphasizes starting fast in 2026, a major offseason priority.
  • C.J. shares the unique Notre Dame dorm system, which replaces fraternities/sororities and builds a strong community feeling: “It’s kind of like a locker room, the dorm… it’s like a team.” ([28:16])

Memorable Locker Room Moment

• On Marcus Freeman's Esquire Photo Shoot:
  • Lighthearted fun about Freeman’s image and leadership:
    • Carr: “That’s our coach. That’s the guy I want to play for.” ([30:09])
    • “He got that GQ look on him, don’t it?” (Mark Ingram II, [30:17])

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5. NFL Draft: Fernando Mendoza Goes #1 to the Raiders

[31:48-38:14]

• Urban Meyer’s Perspective:
  • Stresses the importance of surrounding a new franchise QB with real support:
    “Great players around him… The common thing every great quarterback has is good players around them.” ([32:04, 33:37])
  • Warns of dangers if the franchise is dysfunctional:
    • “If he gets the kicked out of him because no one’s blocking for him… he becomes them and it’s not good.”
• Mark Ingram II’s Breakdown:
  • Praises Mendoza’s intangibles: “He’s coachable, he wants to learn, he wants to be great … but I just need the Raiders to help him because they were bad last year.” ([34:09])
  • Urges for serious O-line investment: “They need to get some offensive damn linemen. They could not block anybody…”
• Rob Stone’s Take:
  • Wonders if Mendoza will “change the franchise or if the franchise changes him”—a key tension for top QB picks headed to struggling teams.
  • “I hope that smile and that arm just wins over that city … but it’s not easy at that position and with all that is expected of you coming out as a number one pick.” ([35:14])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Urban Meyer [13:18]: “Just win baby, just win.”
• C.J. Carr [21:15]: “They’re going to surprise a lot of people… I think we can [replace star RBs].”
• Mark Ingram II [09:00]: “Now, it’s all about the bottom line. How much money am I making?”
• Rob Stone [03:39]: “They find it…and now they’re trying to nickel and dime you at the concession stand as well.”
• Mark Ingram II [12:29]: “Can I round down? Round down, can I round down?”
• C.J. Carr [25:45]: “It really doesn’t mean anything to me… our goal here is to play our best football each week and team glory is what we’re after.”
• Urban Meyer [37:03]: “He either changes the franchise or the franchise changes him.”

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Timestamps of Key Segments

• [03:00-06:10] — NIL at Concessions: "Round Up" trend explained, initial banter
• [06:20-10:37] — The changing priorities of athletic facilities
• [10:37-13:18] — Money arms race: $40M+ rosters and NIL sustainability
• [16:07-30:53] — Notre Dame QB C.J. Carr interview: recruitment, expectations, leadership, facilities, Coach Freeman
• [31:48-38:14] — NFL Draft: Fernando Mendoza’s landing spot, Raiders’ challenges, success factors

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Tone and Style

Lively, irreverent, packed with inside knowledge and good-natured ribbing. The hosts balance humor with sharp analysis, offering both practical takes (from Urban and Mark’s seasoned perspectives) and locker room-level jokes (including poking fun at each other and at college football traditions).

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Useful for Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In?

Absolutely.

• You’ll get insight into the NIL and facilities arms race in college football
• Rare perspective from a rising star (C.J. Carr) as he navigates expectations
• Real talk on NFL Draft realities and what makes a top pick succeed or fail
• All delivered in a conversational, humorous, and candid style

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For Further Listening

To hear more on Notre Dame, check out “Echoes: A Podcast on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish with Mike Golic Jr. and Jessica Smetana,” as plugged at the episode's close.

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Transcript

[Rob Stone]

Marcus Freeman. Good looking, sharp, dressed, well spoken. Esquire magazine swung by and had a little photo shoot. Look at this. Can we break down these photos for us?

[C.J. Carr]

Cj, I'm speechless. That's our coach. That's the guy I want to play for.

[Mark Ingram II]

Boy got that GQ look on him, don't it?

[Rob Stone]

When's the Urban Meyer Esquire shoot? Do we have that booked yet?

[Urban Meyer]

Coach, I can't. I gotta call Marcus. What in the hell?

[Rob Stone]

The triple option is presented by Wendy's. Wendy's invented the spicy chicken sandwich, and now we're reinventing it, making it crispier than ever before. Wendy's Spicy Chicken. We're so back. Hey, hey. Welcome into the triple option hall of fame head coach Urban Meyer. Rob Stone, hall of Famer to be any month now. Mark Ingram ii.

[C.J. Carr]

Deuce, deuce.

[Rob Stone]

Notre Dame quarterback, Heisman contender CJ Carr will join us momentarily. Plus Fernando Mendoza, the talk of the NFL draft. Remember, please rate, subscribe, send us questions. We're across social media. 3x option. Show new episodes on YouTube, wherever you get your podcast. Would you like to talk about my podcast studio this week again?

[Mark Ingram II]

Yeah.

[Urban Meyer]

Remind the viewers, where are you? Because this last week, we hit it

[Mark Ingram II]

in the conception room.

[Urban Meyer]

80, 20. You're right, Mark. 80, 20. Look at the candles.

[Rob Stone]

No way.

[Urban Meyer]

Are those, like. Can you light those candles over your right shoulder? Is it.

[Rob Stone]

Find out.

[Mark Ingram II]

Look at the clock.

[Urban Meyer]

Look at the couch.

[Mark Ingram II]

The conception couch.

[Rob Stone]

Now, they're the. They're the fake cameras. They're the fake candles.

[Mark Ingram II]

What about that lantern? You got a lantern over there?

[Urban Meyer]

Is that the lantern where you clap and it turns on?

[Rob Stone]

There's no.

[Urban Meyer]

What's that thing called? The clap?

[Rob Stone]

I've fallen and I can't get up. Oh, my God.

[Mark Ingram II]

Have you ever, like.

[Urban Meyer]

Have you ever had the big circle? The big circle behind you is a clock. What is it?

[Rob Stone]

It is a clock. It is a clock. You know what's fun? Coming to visit your parents is like, if you. If you need, like, an aspirin or something, you go in their bathroom things and. And then just the stuff you find from, like, decades ago, like brute aftershave, right? Some old Old Spice in, like, a ceramic case. I'm like, dad, this thing has been around since, like, conception of young Mark.

[Urban Meyer]

What took place in that. That office, Right?

[Mark Ingram II]

Mark the conception.

[Rob Stone]

Coach Meyer, what is going on with you here?

[Mark Ingram II]

He's egg me on. He's egging me on

[Urban Meyer]

trying to unsee that. But that's all good.

[Rob Stone]

No, no, it's gonna be great when you See my parents tomorrow. By the way, feel free to bring up the couch in the office.

[Mark Ingram II]

Coach gonna be like, yeah, you know what? I did. I'll hold it down. I'll hold it down. Putting it down.

[Rob Stone]

Oh, my God. Happy birthday to my dad, by the way.

[Urban Meyer]

All right, we are.

[Rob Stone]

Yeah.

[Mark Ingram II]

Big stone.

[Rob Stone]

There we go. 123 days until kickoff of the 2026 college football season and where you will be locked in on any given Saturday. This one you may notice at concession stands this season, right? You buy your hamburger, you buy your hot dog, you buy your beverage or whatever it is. There's going to be an option at some places, like you're at the grocery store to round up your bill. Round up to donate to the school. The donation for nil in some places, including Columbus. Ohio State rolled out the option at their spring game the other day.

[Mark Ingram II]

The Bucks rounding up.

[Rob Stone]

The Bucks are rounding up, man. Also, Nebraska proposing a $600 million stadium renovation. Auburn approved $323 million of addition to their stadium.

[Urban Meyer]

Wow.

[Rob Stone]

As well. So again, we keep talking about, like, where's this money going to come from? Where's this money going to come from? Well, they find it. And then now they're. Now they're trying to nickel and dime you at the concession stand as well. Again, you don't have to donate. You don't have to say roundup. I know, at the grocery store.

[Urban Meyer]

But that's in it. There is no more nil. That's on their players own. Right. It's not the university given nil. But there are. There are zero rules right now. None.

[Rob Stone]

That's. That's the big takeaway. Trying to lock it in.

[Mark Ingram II]

And there's still nil. There's still nil and still nil, Coach.

[Urban Meyer]

So the money comes from the roundup, and where it go, they just distribute. I thought you couldn't do that.

[Mark Ingram II]

Yes.

[Urban Meyer]

That has to go through the College Football Commission, which, I mean, my goodness, do you guys.

[Rob Stone]

Are you guys like me? You get annoyed these days where everywhere you go, you're being asked for another bonus tip or another roundup or another this or another that. And.

[C.J. Carr]

Yeah.

[Rob Stone]

And now you're going to get hit at the concession. You just listen, man. You're going there for spring ball, right? Like, I just want to see some young cats. I want to get out of the house. I want to see some football. And now these poor concession workers have to ask you, would you like to round up to pay for that young tight end?

[Urban Meyer]

Well, you remember we had Jay Billis on Jay Billis looks at things very uniquely. Obviously very intelligent guy and great guy and all. But I asked him the question, I said about sustain, you know, because the commission for commissioners. I sat in the White House and I heard how it's unsustainable. What's going on. Everything's unsustainable. Unsustainable. And asked Jay Billis, do you remember what he said? He said, we've been hearing that for 40 years. He goes, of course it's sustainable and it will be sustainable. And you know, the higher ups would argue with you. But then also Nebraska, 600 mil into a stadium, 323 at Auburn. They're still paying. I think Auburn's still paying off coaches, right?

[Rob Stone]

Sounds right.

[Urban Meyer]

They banged a few of them and. Yeah, but it's unsustainable. Sure it is. They're. I mean, unbelievable. I remember an AD last year told me that you won't be able. Coaches will not get fired. Remember Mark? And you laughed. Yeah. He said, you will see coaches hang on to coaches because they cannot afford the buyouts. How wrong was that?

[Mark Ingram II]

I did laugh because a program is not going to sit there and watch their, watch their school go to shambles. They're going to fire him and pay that bread.

[Urban Meyer]

Yep.

[Mark Ingram II]

And they did it. 20 something coaches were looking for new jobs. There was 20, 20 some vacant openings this year. They gonna get that money. They gonna nickel. Hey, they gonna have you round up

[Rob Stone]

song Round up Round up round.

[Urban Meyer]

There's a moral to the story. There's plenty of money in college football and whatever comes out of an administrators, you know, take it for what it is. They're gonna do what they gots to do. Yeah.

[Rob Stone]

So let's talk about facilities real quick. I think the facility conversation is changing. So coach, in your day, whether it was at, let's just say Florida and Ohio State, how important was facilities on your master list? Like there's recruiting, there's whatever, but facilities, where were they for you in importance?

[Urban Meyer]

Yeah. I had four jobs and bowling greens were not good. We built one after I left that we helped do. And then Utah was very below average, Florida was way below average and Ohio State was average. But what we did and what I was nuts about is the commitment for sports performance. And that means the amount of money that we threw into our own PT person, our own sports psychologist, and the very best of the best training staff and wait staff. I was more about the people than the silliness of some of the. I think it's got to be a great facility, but you know, you see, you know, you see like pools and slides and, you know, we would. I didn't want any of that stuff. I wanted just to make sure we had the best of the best for our players. I mean, if it was cutting edge cryo or, you know, whatever it was to make sure those players had the best, the best weeks and training table, we sunk all kinds of money into that. But not. Never had a great facility ever.

[Mark Ingram II]

I think that was some of the bells and whistles of getting recruited. You would go somewhere and you would love to see that they had, like, great places where you were going to be spending your time. Right. I think that was kind of something that, you know, sold players, something that players were attracted to was going to have a great stadium, going to have a great locker room, going to have a great weight room, going to have a good dining hall, going to have good study hall. Like those facilities all matter. I think it made, you know, a lot of sense to players and also their families as well, knowing that you were sending your kid to a great place that had great resources and a nice place for your kid to be able to spend his time. But these days, I don't feel like the facilities matter that much. What matters that much is the bottom line. I'm coming to your school. How much you going to pay me? I'm coming to your school. What's going to. How much am I making a month? I'm coming to your school. How much nil money am I going to get, where I'm going to be living, all these things. That's what matters. Now, if you go to a place, they have great facilities and they're only going to get you 200,000, but then you go to another place and the facilities are average or below average, but they want to pay you 750,000 to a million, they're going to go where the money's at. And I think that's essentially what we're dealing with in today's age. And the kids aren't wrong, honestly. You know, capitalize on the chance that you have to make this money, and that's what they're going to do. So I think back when I was getting recruited, I think facilities made much more of a difference. Whereas opposed to now, it's all about the bottom line. How much money am I making?

[Rob Stone]

Facilities matter, I think more for the donors now or for the alumni and the administrators as well, right? Because they see these prices increasing and they say, how can we maximize our Saturdays? Right? And if that's suites and boxes that we didn't have and we need to get to get corporate sponsorship in. Maybe that's what they're talking about, facilities now rather than, hey, the players want to see this beautiful training table spread. Or here's what's ironic and pop a shot.

[Urban Meyer]

What's ironic is Ohio State's facilities are. They were actually the same ones that I was there in 1986. Now they've been expanded and. But it's the same one you have. The Woody Hayes athletic facility was built in 1987. I was a grad student. Yeah, the same indoor facility, Mark. Now it's, it's grown. I mean, they've added, like, some rooms to it, et cetera. And everybody keeps saying, you need a new one. Need a new one.

[Mark Ingram II]

You don't need new ones. You need to renovate your current one. That's what they do. Alabama has the same facility that I was at. You walk in the same door, but that thing looks completely different when you go inside. Don't look like the same spot. I walk in there, I don't know where I'm at anymore. I'd be like, yo, where are we at here? You know what I mean?

[Rob Stone]

Where's the Mark Ingram wing? Which way, left or right? Where am I going here?

[Mark Ingram II]

No, but you're right, Stone. Like, I think when you talk about the facilities, how they're renovating the stadiums is to generate more revenue. You know, they're renovating the stadiums to have more suites, to have more premium seating so they could charge more money so it goes to the university so they can spend more. So they can spend more. It's all about money. It's all about the bottom line here.

[Rob Stone]

And we're hearing reports, Mark, of multiple schools with $40 million rosters, $40 million rosters. So obviously, you got to figure out a way to pay for that.

[Mark Ingram II]

I thought they had no money.

[Urban Meyer]

Coach here, I, I, I'm. No names, but a friend of mine, not Ohio State, but I just texted him, that's a gm. And I said, what in the world? I thought nil. And here's what he said. No rules. Zero rules right now. He said, you're going to see $50 million rosters that, you know that the revenue share, I think, is going to be, what, 21. That means $30 million are going to be. So there's zero rules.

[Rob Stone]

So let's go back to the beginning of this conversation, asking people to round up their bill at the concession stand. You all right with that, Mark?

[Mark Ingram II]

Listen, at this, at this point, at this Day, man, try everything you can. Because when Mug is going for 50 million dollar roster. If we can get a million dollars from roundups.

[Rob Stone]

Hey, those roundups add up fast, man.

[Mark Ingram II]

Right?

[Rob Stone]

Like a 57 cents and a 63

[Mark Ingram II]

here and next thing or you know, I'm $9.

[Urban Meyer]

Stop. You got 40,000 people adding to $1. No, it doesn't, Rob. Stop.

[Rob Stone]

You get 40 grand and you got it on Saturday. That concession stand. You're hitting it multiple times now, coach. You're hitting multiple times. I'm just saying the concept, like, because you know, if you're the university, you would say to yourself, hey, these are my people, right? These are the people that want to see our athletic department succeed. So, so what is, what's a quarter here? What's a 63 cents?

[Mark Ingram II]

60 cents, like whatever. It's crazy just what we've gotten to, you know what I mean? Like we got our own fans rounding up to go to the nil. Like, but at the end of the day, how about the opposite?

[Rob Stone]

How about the opposing fans, right? How about those Auburn fans coming to Bama for a game and asking them to round up?

[Mark Ingram II]

They gonna be like, can I round down? Round down, Can I round down?

[Rob Stone]

Take that order back. I am not interested.

[Mark Ingram II]

Hey, you gotta get it how you live, man. Because if you don't have the funds, if you don't have the money, if you don't have the resources, you cannot compete in today's game.

[Urban Meyer]

So I've changed my whole tune, man. I've changed.

[Mark Ingram II]

Get it how you live. Get it how you live.

[Urban Meyer]

I would, I'd try to get a 70 million dollar roster right now. It's coming, money. Yeah, it's coming, coach. That was what it is.

[Mark Ingram II]

It was, it was 20, it was 30 some last year. It's up north of 40 now. It's going up with inflation, Coach.

[Urban Meyer]

And they say, and everyone says sustainability. And Jay Billis says, stop. It is obviously sustainable.

[Rob Stone]

It is sustainable.

[Urban Meyer]

I agree with Jay Bellis.

[Mark Ingram II]

It is sustainable. Because that ain't going nowhere, Coach. It ain't going nowhere. And until some rules happen, the number is going to keep going.

[Urban Meyer]

Just win, baby, just win. Bingo.

[Rob Stone]

Bingo. That was never cutting corners. Presented by Wendy's. Wendy's new spicy chicken sandwich is crispier, crunchier and more flavor packed than ever. Wendy's were so back. And when we come back on the triple option, Notre Dame quarterback C.J. carr joins the show.

[Urban Meyer]

Light it.

[Rob Stone]

Back in 1995, Wendy's invented the iconic spicy chicken sandwich. Built it from scratch. They perfected the balance of heat and flavor in every bite. So, yeah, Wendy's set the standard, but standards don't stand still.

[Urban Meyer]

So in 2026, they're going back. Back to the flavor, back to the quality, and back to the kitchen that made the sandwich that started it all better. Meet the new spicy chickens. Same iconic sandwich from Wendy's. Now even more iconic.

[Mark Ingram II]

We're talking a bold blend of nine peppers and spices. And the breading even crispier than before, golden and glistening with that signature spice blend. Crispier, crunchier, and more flavorful than ever. All cooled down with some pickles, tomato, and mayo because you deserve more from your chicken sandwich. Being the first was one thing, but being the best, that's Wendy's thing.

[Rob Stone]

So don't just take their word for it. Consider this your official invitation. Come see, come compare, come taste. Trust them. You're gonna have to eat it to believe it. 2026 quality is our recipe, LLC. All right, guys, let me put you onto something I've been seeing more and more out there lately. It is called RK0 proof, and it's basically a way to enjoy the taste and the feel of your favorite cocktails without any alcohol at all. Mark.

[Mark Ingram II]

I'm talking zero alcohol, Stone, zero sugar, zero carbs. But somehow it still gives you that same burn and experience you'd expect from a real drink. They've got everything from whiskey and vodka to rum and tequila alternatives. So you can still have your go to drink just without the downsides. Coach.

[Urban Meyer]

Whether you're cutting back, staying sharp, or just don't feel like drinking but still want the experience, this is definitely something worth checking out. Go to rk0proof.com and see what they've got.

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[Rob Stone]

Welcome back to the triple option. Rob Stone, Mark Ingram ii, Urban Meyer here with you, we go to South Bend, Indiana. Bring in the quarterback of Notre Dame University, C.J. carr. By the way, Coach, right like that cat looks like a proper quarter.

[Urban Meyer]

I would take that every day right there. Look at that badass.

[Rob Stone]

Welcome, cj. Man, the look is the look is on point this spring. Well done.

[C.J. Carr]

Thank you. Appreciate it.

[Urban Meyer]

Hey, C.J. i love your grandfather. We became good friends over the years and, you know, Wolverine legend won a national title and you're stuck with a decision to make a big one and you pick rival. I know you guys aren't playing for a minute, but back in the day, that was a huge rivalry. When you first got to Notre Dame. I first got there in 1996 and I couldn't get enough of it. The Basilica, the Grotto. I'm a Catholic guy, Irish Catholic guy. And so I just. Is it still. I mean, do you pinch yourself someday and said, I'm the quarterback at the University of Notre Dame. And when you walk around that great campus. Yeah.

[C.J. Carr]

During the recruiting process, it was. It was unbelievable. My, during my sophomore or the summer going into my sophomore year of high school, my dad kind of wanted to take us all over the Midwest and, you know, just. Just to see what was all over. I'd been offered by Michigan and Michigan State at that point and, you know, we didn't want to lock in on a lot of people. I thought I would just kind of lock in on Michigan right away and commit, but, you know, my dad wanted to do it right. He wanted me to see around. So we hit all the Midwest schools and at this point, Coach Freeman wasn't, you know, the head coach here. And so we visited Notre Dame, but it wasn't really a place we were looking at too hard until, you know, Free got the job. And I really like the offense coordinator, Tommy Reese, who isn't here anymore. But, you know, I liked, I just, you know, really liked the staff and the people. And then as I continue to kind of visit Notre Dame, it just felt more like home. Like you said, Coach, it's. You walk past the Basilica and the Dome and it's a special place. There's a different type of aura around Notre Dame when you're walking around the campus. And so I definitely made the right decision.

[Urban Meyer]

So quick mini history lesson 1996, Coach Holtz hired me, Mark and Rob and CJ. Notre Dame back then, they didn't have a training table. The players had to stay in the dorms for four years. A lot of the dorms were non air conditioned. They did not pay the coaches. We got paid about half what other coaches got paid. The facilities were awful. I mean, horrible, infested with stuff and I mean, just really, really bad. But it was a. It was the mindset that, that we're Notre Dame, we don't have to do like everybody else. But I don't think Brian Kelly gets enough credit. He changed that. And now Marcus, I watch and I see what has happened to Angela Edison. What I've seen the facilities. I think you guys are getting another one.

[C.J. Carr]

Oh, yeah.

[Urban Meyer]

It's the best version of Notre Dame in my lifetime right now. And that's pretty cool. Tell us about the facilities and the commitment they've made to you guys because I'm telling you, you had no training table. And last quick story, I went on the road recruiting back. This is around cell phone time, Mark. They refused to give us cell phones. And so I was at a practice and I asked the assistant coach from University of Connecticut, can I borrow your cell phone? Because I have to make a call. He looked at me, goes, you're Notre Dame. I said, I know they don't give a cell phone. So that's a. Tell us about the difference now.

[C.J. Carr]

It's a lot different than that. It's unbelievable. We're building a new locker room weight room facility right now and it looks unbelievable. We've got to walk by it every day. Going to practice for about the last seven months. And so come fall camp will be in that. And it's amazing. We got training table. Yes. There are phones. So it's good. It's amazing.

[Mark Ingram II]

Yeah, man. C.J. man, big fan of you, man, what you stand for, what you did last year, your first season starting. But I just want to talk about the two dogs you had in the backfield last year, man. You had obviously Jeremiah Love and Jadarian Price. How did they help you in your first year as a starter? And how are you preparing to live without those two dogs this season?

[C.J. Carr]

Yeah, they took a lot of stress and pressure off of me, knowing that in the run game we could kind of do whatever we wanted. When you have the two best backs in college football and you don't like, you know, the look the defense is giving you, it's really easy to just check to a run play, get the ball into those guys hands and, and let them kind of work their magic. And so it's, it's going to be a changing, you know, without the two best backs in the country. But I also think, you know, what people aren't expecting is that we got two, two or three really, really good backs coming in behind them, right. Nias Williams, Nolan James Jr. And Kedron Young are going to be really, really good for us. And then two freshmen who come in and it's unbelievable. They're going to be really good. They're going to surprise a lot of people that, you know, might not think that we can, we can bring, you know, a JD And a J. Love aspect of our game back, but I think we can.

[Urban Meyer]

ACJ I'm looking at your schedule here and you are probably going to be two score favorites in every game except maybe at byu, which is the tough one. We've been there. And then Miami, I think Miami comes to you guys in November, which those hurricane. I know Coach Freeman's hoping for a nice 12 degree day in South Bend, but last year you lost the two, you know, the two games, Miami and Texas Ammo kept you out of the playoff. Have you and Coach Freeman, because you're going to be a leader here, talked about how to just keep it one week at a time because I mean it's, it's, you can't, you can't stub your toe. Certainly not twice.

[C.J. Carr]

No doubt. We've, you know, a big theme going into this year that we've talked about is starting fast. And for the last few years we haven't started fast. And so this year is going to be a big emphasis. We've worked throughout the off season getting more team periods in, doing some tempo drills at the beginning of practice just to emphasize, you know, coming out of the gate hot and taking care of business one week at a time. Like you said, Coach. And so Coach Freeman has done a great job of kind of preparing us at least this far in the spring. And you know, we're going to, we're going to keep our heads down and continue to work throughout this summer with player led practices, into the fall with fall camp and, and then into week one with Wisconsin, which we're really excited about.

[Rob Stone]

You're talking about doing those Midwest trips and you mentioned your dad. I feel like you're not mentioning Mom, Tammy, for a reason that maybe mom wasn't allowed on some of these trips or particularly the one to South Bend, Is that right?

[C.J. Carr]

Particularly the one to South Bend because she was allowed to come on all the visits. Once we started to get really serious about Notre Dame, then it was like, all right, you can't meet Free until we've, we've, you know, you know, I, I know what I'm getting myself into because why is that?

[Rob Stone]

What, what had, had you worried about your mom's reaction to Coach Freeman?

[C.J. Carr]

Because I think, you know, in all households, like the mom is the boss and that's, at least that's my household. It's, it's. And we listen to mom and so Coach Free Just does such a great job of capturing Notre Dame and in the way he recruits and exactly what he says is what Notre Dame's like. And I just knew my mom, the second she heard him talk about Notre Dame and how much he cared about it and the passion he had, it was over. And there was. There was no more other schools. And so. So we had to kind of. We had to wait for her to fully meet free and getting and sit down with him, and then she did, and it was exactly what we thought was going to happen. And now I'm here.

[Rob Stone]

Did Coach Freeman know he had that upper hand coming into the conversation, do you think?

[C.J. Carr]

I don't know. I don't know. He's, you know, he just speaks with a lot of passion about Notre Dame and his, you know, understands his role in this program and is the best leader we could ask for. And so all that coming together is hard for the moms to say no. And our family at least, you know,

[Urban Meyer]

looking at that schedule again real quick, there's two big misses on there, and that's the Wolverines and that's the USC game. You know, I grew up in an era that was a must. That was a. That was. That was two rivalry games. Have you guys talked about that or just move on about the rivalry games going away?

[C.J. Carr]

I know over social media there was a lot of buzz about the USC games, and I think Michigan's supposed to be coming back at some point in the future. You know, both of those teams. I think this program would love to play. And growing up, it was, you know, for our family, it was always. We were a Michigan family. So it was Michigan, Ohio State was number one. And then, you know, I grew up watching Michigan, Notre Dame, and so, you know, that's a rivalry I would. I would love to bring back. And I'm not going to unfortunately, be a part of a game like that unless it's a playoff game. But it's a special. They're very similar programs, I think, and I think they need to be playing each other every year, man.

[Mark Ingram II]

I have a feeling what you're going to say here, but I just need to talk to you, man. We got this Heisman Trophy right here, man. And according to Vegas right now, you tie with Arch Manning as the Heisman favorite. Much deserved. Well deserved. You've earned that. But are you hearing this noise? What. How does it make you feel? Is adding a little pressure to you? Tell me about, man, being in that discussion already, in the way too. Early preseason. Heisman favorite.

[C.J. Carr]

Yeah, like, you Said it's way too early. We. If you had looked at last year's, you know, projected Heisman winner, I don't think Fernando Mendoza would be anywhere near that. And so it really doesn't. Doesn't mean anything to me, and it doesn't mean anything to this program until, you know, we get to go out and play Wisconsin Week 1 and carry on momentum week in, week out. And, you know, our goal here is to play our best football each week, and team glory is what we're after. And with team glory, the individual rewards will come. But, you know, like I said, it's all about winning here, and that's what we're kind of worried about.

[Mark Ingram II]

The man is polished, man. I can't knock him off his pivot, man. Dang.

[Rob Stone]

You mentioned the theme starting fast, and again, that.02 start last year is part of it. I think there's another theme out there that we've been hearing from South Bend. This revenge tour type concept. The fact that you guys were not accepted in the college football playoffs. Is that for real, this revenge tour vibe that's going through your program?

[C.J. Carr]

No, it's the year in Notre Dame. We're worried about ourselves. We're not worried about anyone else. And we want to just show up every day, and we got a lot of time before game one. And so we're not worried about, you know, the teams we played last year or the results of last year. We want to keep the pain from not, you know, making into the playoffs, but we want to use that to just propel us forward. It's not about anyone else, and it's about reaching our.

[Rob Stone]

So you're telling me you don't have November 7th circled somewhere in your locker room, somewhere in your office, somewhere in your brain?

[Urban Meyer]

Don't tell them, cj. That's up to you. Dude, don't go there.

[C.J. Carr]

I don't. I don't. We have every week circled, and it's,

[Rob Stone]

you know, you don't have rice. You don't have rice.

[C.J. Carr]

Circle.

[Urban Meyer]

Don't.

[Rob Stone]

Don't play that game with.

[Urban Meyer]

We do.

[C.J. Carr]

It's another opportunity to be.

[Urban Meyer]

Damn right, C.J.

[C.J. Carr]

sir.

[Mark Ingram II]

The man knows his stuff.

[Urban Meyer]

Yes, they're real quick. This is my last question for you, cj. I think this is really cool for a listener. So Notre Dame does not have fraternity sororities. Your affiliation is with your dorm.

[C.J. Carr]

Yes.

[Urban Meyer]

It's one of the coolest experiences. And 7,000 students, or I think 7,100, go to the games. You know how many students are, Rob. Everyone goes. It's one of the coolest experiences. So what dorm are you in? And is it true you're affiliated with that dorm?

[C.J. Carr]

I'm a part of the. The Keough Kangaroos. That's my dorm.

[Urban Meyer]

There you go.

[C.J. Carr]

I was in there for about a year and made some really good friends in that dorm. And it's the, the best part, I think, is the. It's kind of like a locker room, the dorm. It's like, you know, we're going to go play dorm basketball in, in the winter, and then in the fall, we have dorm football sectionals. And. And then, you know, you have a sister dorm and you go to formals with that dorm.

[Rob Stone]

And.

[C.J. Carr]

And so it's like a team. It's like a locker room.

[Urban Meyer]

You're.

[C.J. Carr]

You're part of the Keo Kangaroos and, or, you know, the o' Neill whatever, And, and you make some really good friends in there. Really good memories. And.

[Urban Meyer]

So how many years you gotta be in the dorm?

[Rob Stone]

Oh, there's a smile.

[C.J. Carr]

Technically, it's three.

[Urban Meyer]

Cause you know what happened? Rob this. Our players came from some. Some came from wealthy families. They'd all get apartments.

[C.J. Carr]

Yes, sir.

[Urban Meyer]

But the Notre Dame administration, we would have to check their dorm rooms once in a while to make sure they're actually living in dorms. But they weren't.

[C.J. Carr]

Yeah, that. That doesn't happen anymore. It's. It's. You're supposed to live on campus for three years or at least have a dorm, and then you can move off your fourth. Some guys, now that Nil is around, we get apartments and houses.

[Rob Stone]

Wow.

[Urban Meyer]

Times have changed, man.

[Rob Stone]

You haven't been able to have the. The cereal on the quad or whatever they call it on those Saturday mornings, Right? You're too busy. But your kangaroos are doing that. The. The breakfast cereal that you guys do.

[C.J. Carr]

Yes, they're. They're doing that for me.

[Rob Stone]

They're sucking down the cereal for you. All right, let's conclude by going back to your head coach, Marcus Freeman.

[Mark Ingram II]

All right?

[Rob Stone]

I mean, good looking cat, right? Like, we can all accept this, right? Good looking, sharp dressed, well spoken. Esquire magazine swung by, right, and had a little photo shoot with. Now look at this. Can we break down these photos for a cj?

[C.J. Carr]

I don't think I can. I'm speechless, to be honest. That's our coach. That's the guy I want to play for. Know what I'm saying?

[Rob Stone]

Black and white.

[Mark Ingram II]

Got that GQ look on them, don't it?

[Rob Stone]

When's the Urban Meer Esquire shoot Have we had. Have we. Do we have that booked yet?

[Urban Meyer]

Coach, I can't. I gotta call Marcus. What in that?

[Rob Stone]

He looks good.

[Mark Ingram II]

Clean, man. Gq. He going for the GQ magazine.

[Rob Stone]

This hasn't made it into the locker room. This hasn't made it into the weight room.

[C.J. Carr]

Oh, it's. It's on the way for sure.

[Urban Meyer]

Love it, man.

[Mark Ingram II]

Love it.

[Rob Stone]

C.J. car. So thank you so much for spending some. Some of your springtime here with us. I know spring ball just wrapped up for you guys. You had a great outing. People are raving about you. You're a Heisman candidate. But let's start fast, right? No Owen. Two starts in South Bend this year.

[Urban Meyer]

Start.

[Rob Stone]

Start fast. Appreciate it.

[Urban Meyer]

Thanks, CJ Family. Brother.

[C.J. Carr]

Thank you.

[Mark Ingram II]

Thank you, man.

[Urban Meyer]

We rooting for you, dog.

[C.J. Carr]

Thank you.

[Rob Stone]

And if you're a Notre Dame fan and want more coverage of the Irish, make sure to check out the Echoes, a podcast on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish with your host, Mike Golick Jr. And Jessica Smetana. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning. Coming up next, we talk about the number one overall pick, Fernando Mendoza, on his way to Vegas. When the triple option, presented by Wendy's returns, It is time for Cheers of the week, presented by RK0PROOF. RK0PROOF delivers the taste, aroma and even the burn of real spirits without the alcohol, sugar or carbs. Mark had that burn last week. Show the NFL draft was last week. Indiana.

[Mark Ingram II]

Love me some more Case though.

[Rob Stone]

I know you do. I have some back home. Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza, as expected, went number one overall to the Las Vegas Raiders. Coach, what do you think will make Fernando a success in the NFL?

[Urban Meyer]

Great players around him. You know, I've. I've had. Alex Smith was the number one player overall and he went to a really bad team. Bad defense, bad special teams, bad offense, and he got blamed for it. And then it finally settled down and Jim Harbaugh came in and settled things in and they started winning and. And then he played for a guy named Andy Reid with a good team and he had a really good career and then went on to Washington. So Fernando Menzo Mendoza is a dear friend of this program. He still texts me. That's how good that kid is. I love that guy. I said mid year last year that he needed to come back and then he won a run Mark. That was historic and he certainly proved that he's the number one pick. He's earned it, he deserves it. But I haven't really watched the Raiders, but I know Matt Leiner, you, Mark, and I Think Brady said the same thing. That's as bad a football team as they've ever seen. And I didn't watch them.

[Mark Ingram II]

Been watching the NFL a long time, coach. The Raiders were one of the worst football teams I've ever seen in history that I've ever watched. They couldn't do anything.

[Urban Meyer]

Yeah. So I, I worry about him a little bit. You know you, you start getting beat up and a bad offense and I, I once again, I don't know this like I want to study the Raiders but you get stuck behind a bad offense line. You get stuck with very average talent around you. They do have playing teams that get that beat the piss out of you.

[Mark Ingram II]

They do have a losers.

[Urban Meyer]

What's that?

[Mark Ingram II]

They do have some key pieces and cornerstones to build around but they definitely need to protect the man because they could not do that at all last year.

[Urban Meyer]

The common thing every great quarterback has, Mark and Rob is good players around them.

[Mark Ingram II]

Yes sir.

[Urban Meyer]

Because it's impossible to do.

[Mark Ingram II]

I think I'll piggyback off coach man. I think the great players around him will be substantial and he does have that. You have a great running back in Ashton Gente. You have a generational tight end and Brock Bowers, you have Max Crosby. So now you just need to put some stuff in the trenches. You need to be able to run the football one because you have Ashton Denty. You need to be able to pass block for one because you have, you're going to draft Fernando Mendoza. You have two top seven picks from your quarterback and your running back. You have to be able to have somebody in front of them to be able to block. But what I think is going to make Fernando Mendoza successful is all the intangibles we talk about, the leadership, his communication. He is a football nerd. He studies, he knows coverages, he knows where to go with the football. He processes quickly. He has great accuracy, he has the size. He's like 6, 4, 6, 5. So he has all the intangibles that you look for in a quarterback. But to me, most importantly, who he is, who he is. He's coachable, he wants to learn, he wants to be great. He has great leadership traits. Yes. And yes, he is accurate with the football. He does process quickly. But I think who Fernando Mendoza is as a person is what's going to make him successful. He doesn't want to be. He's not one of these guys who's going to be complacent. He's going to be content with being the first number one overall pick. No, he wants to be great. He wants his teammates around him to be great. He has great leadership qualities, great leadership capabilities. I'm just excited to watch the young man. Big fan of Fernando Mendoza. I can't wait to watch him. And I just need the Raiders to do something to help this young man because they were bad last year.

[Rob Stone]

I wonder, I wonder if the franchise changes him or if he changes the franchise.

[Urban Meyer]

You're right. It's one or the other, right? And that's a great way of looking at it.

[Rob Stone]

It's a big one. And that's no disrespect to, you know, what Raider Nation is, but it's been dysfunctional for a while now and they need to get out of this rut. And, and he is that type of messiah type character. I mean, like just, he's anti Vegas, right? I mean he is a clean living cat and a smart dude. And you do not see him getting mixed up with some of the things that have, have nabbed some Vegas players lately. And I hope that smile and that arm just wins over that city, wins over that fan base and becomes a winner in the NFL. But it's not easy at that position and with all that is expected of you coming out as a number one pick. I think there's a lot of GMs out there these days, Mark, who would say, you know what, burn your. Burn your high picks on a quarterback. I get it, it's the most important position. But you know what? I would rather take some dude who's in his third, fourth, fifth year, who's got some experience and calm down and maybe doesn't have the great stats, but understands better now what this position is. Rather than taking a gamble on some

[Mark Ingram II]

teenager, they need to get some offensive damn linemen. They could not block anybody. You have Ashton Genty. He could not. People were talking about Ashton Jetty like this dude was a beast last year and he was getting hit two yards behind the line of scrimmage. Every time he touched the ball, Geno Smith was dropping back, he was getting hit in his mouth, he was looking out his ear hole half the season. So like get some guys on the front offensive line to help these cornerstone pieces that you have drafted. Like I said, you got Bowers, you got Gente, you're going to go get Mendoza, get some offensive linemen that can run block and pass block so you can have a hoping, a fighting chance to be successful.

[Urban Meyer]

So I loved what you said, Rob. You said he either changes the franchise or the franchise changes him. Mark Ingrid just Told you I can't agree. You just said it. Beautiful. Without that he becomes them and it's not good. So I, I don't. I. Once again, I haven't studied him. But yeah, you know, we see body language. You better, you better have some freaking guys in front of you, man. Or that, that, that.

[Rob Stone]

But he's got the mental and physical makeup sure. To be a success.

[Mark Ingram II]

Yeah.

[Urban Meyer]

But if he gets a kicked out of him because he's. No one's blocking him.

[Rob Stone]

He's looking at him.

[Urban Meyer]

I'm defensive of that kid.

[Mark Ingram II]

You know, I don't think the franchise will change him. I don't to change him to. You know, I think he has the wherewithal to be true to who he is and that's why I have hope for him in the NFL is because he's going to stay true to who he is. He's going to work, he's going to believe. Yes, he might run around, he might get beat up a little bit. But I believe in Fernando Mendoza staying true to who he is. But I just need the Raiders to be able to help him because I watched them because I had Ashton Gentian fantasy last year and they were terrible coaches.

[Urban Meyer]

Awful.

[Rob Stone]

I want the Raiders to do well, Mark, but I think you, you've triggered a new T shirt idea right. The. The. The Raider but with the helmet sideways and he's looking at it.

[Mark Ingram II]

You got him flicking off fans. Flynn's picking him off session Jetty with the head down like he getting the ball. He can't run like it was bad.

[Rob Stone]

He didn't change the franchise. The franchise changed him. Oh boy. That does it for the triple option. Follow subscribe rate us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever it is you get your podcast as well as across social media. We are at 3X option show and as always, thanks to our wonderful sponsors Wendy's and RK0 Proof.