2027 NFL Draft: College Game Recaps – Week 5

Notre Dame 37, North Carolina 26

• Notre Dame quarterback C.J. Carr looks like a future first-round pick and NFL starter, so it would be interesting to see how he handled the Bill Belichick Tar Heels’ defense. Carr was superb against North Carolina and gave pro evaluators another tape showing that he is a potential franchise quarterback.

  On a 28-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Faison, Carr displayed his downfield accuracy and intelligence. He looked off the safety and moved him with his eyes, and then lofted in a perfect strike, leading Faison open in the middle of the end zone for the score. Carr’s next throw was a touchdown as well. After a Tar Heels’ interception. Carr had perfect ball placement in the front corner of the end zone, and Jadan Greathouse made a leaping grab for a touchdown. At the opening of the second quarter, Carr threw his third touchdown pass. Faison got wide open in busted coverage, and Carr led Faison a bit too much, but the talented receiver made a fabulous diving catch for a 39-yard touchdown.

  The Fighting Irish defense and special teams allowed the Tar Heels back in the game. Midway through the third quarter on a fourth-and-goal, Carr drew North Carolina offsides with a hard count, and when the play broke down, Carr rolled out before darting upfield and diving into the end zone for a huge touchdown. On the next possession, Carr made a good read with a short touchdown pass to Nolan James Jr. Carr finished completing 21-of-29 passes for 234 yards with four touchdown passes and one rushing.

  For the NFL, there is no doubt that Carr has the talent to be a starting quarterback. Carr is an accurate pocket passer with excellent field vision and intelligence. Carr moves his eyes quickly to read his progressions and has a great understanding of his offense and where his receivers are going to be. He has a well-developed football IQ that comes from growing up in an accomplished football family. Carr makes good decisions with the ball and uses his arm and mind to hurt defenses downfield. Carr throws a very catchable ball and has a natural ability to throw perfect touch passes, dropping in the ball at exactly the right spot. With his excellent ball placement, Carr leads his receivers for more yards, and he also places passes where his receiver can make the reception without putting it in danger of being intercepted. While Carr does not have an elite cannon for an arm like Josh Allen, Carr has a solid arm and can make all the throws. Carr does not really have any flaws in his play; he just does not have an elite skill set in terms of a power arm or great running ability. Team sources have told me they compare Carr to Brock Purdy and Bo Nix. This tape will help Carr to be a first-round pick next April.

• Faison totaled 132 yards on eight catches with two touchdowns. This was a great tape for Faison. He showed excellent route-running to create separation with the speed to challenge defenses downfield. For the NFL, Faison could be a shifty slot receiver who also lines up outside to stretch the secondary. Along with being a good receiver, Faison is a weapon as a punt returner. He could be a nice third- or fourth-round pick who provides a good value for that selection.

• Notre Dame edge rusher Boubacar Traore was superb against North Carolina. Traore used a long arm to beat the right tackle and smashed Billy Edwards as he threw. Linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa caught the wounded duck and returned it about 20 yards to the 12-yard line. On the next drive, Traore powered through a tight end to get into the backfield to make a tackle for a loss in run defense. In the second quarter, Traore went upfield against the right tackle, but he showed his effort to turn and chase and make a tackle five yards downfield to get a tackle on a wide receiver screen. Traore used a speed rush in the fourth quarter to come close to another sack and force a third-down incompletion. This was an excellent tape from Traore showing his ability to beat tackles with speed around the edge, power to go through him, toughness as a run defender, and a good motor to run to the ball. This tape will help Traore to be an early-round pick next April.

• Notre Dame Leonard Moore is one of the best players in college football, and he was rock solid against North Carolina. In the early going, he had sticky coverage to force a third-down incompletion. In the second quarter, Moore showed his ability to make a pass break up while avoiding a pass interference by closing on the ball and slapping it away. Moore had tight coverage on Tar Heels star tight end, Jelani Thurman. However, late in the fourth quarter, Moore came over from zone coverage to try and make a hard hit and break up a pass on Thurman, and Moore was shaken up on the play. Moore jogged off the field and his injury did not look serious. Moore looks like a first-round pick next April, and he could go in the top 10.