Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1531388
BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM FEBRUARY 2025 5 NOT CATCHING ON? For a couple of months now we have been reading and hearing that ND did not get the wide (boundary) receivers they wanted in the latest 2025 recruit- ing class. We've also been reading that this might be a weakness in our offense next season. In light of all this, I am questioning the development (or lack thereof ) of the two highly touted four-star wide receivers in the 2024 class, namely Lo- gan Saldate, whom I understand has 4.4 40-yard speed, and Cam Williams. I don't think either of them had playing time this past season (they could have played in games while still preserving their redshirts), as for example Jaden Greathouse (whom I think was so good that he burned his redshirt) did when he was a freshman. I see where we recently added a very productive wide receiver from the transfer portal for next season, Vir- ginia's Malachi Fields. What does this convey to, or what does it say about the talent and progress of Williams and Saldate? Gary Pasquinelli (aka Desert Domer), ND '65 Yuma, Ariz. Mr. Pasquinelli, the jury is still out on how impactful Saldate and Williams will be for the Irish, but the transfer portal additions of Fields and Wisconsin's Will Pauling are not an indictment on their development. "I love what I see from Logan," Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Den- brock said in late October. "Obviously, he's getting a nice little baptism by fire going against a pretty good secondary every day right now, down on the [scout] team . But he's got some explosiveness to him. I like what I've seen from him. I think he's going to be a really good player for us. "Cam continues to learn the game and the details of the game," Denbrock added. "He is incredibly blessed with what the good Lord blessed him with , as far as size and being able to run. But under- standing coverages and where he fits in the concept and how to route-adjust and different things like that, that process is ongoing. He's gotten better at that. I like where he's headed, but there's still some work to be done there." Notre Dame's wide receiver room has been a work in progress in recent years, so any time you can add some quality depth you do it. Especially when you consider graduate student Beaux Collins, Jayden Harrison and Kris Mitchell are exhaust- ing their eligibility this season , plus other potential departures. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Fields, who compiled 113 receptions for 1,619 yards and 10 touchdowns the past two years at Virginia, is a great fit as a boundary re- ceiver in Notre Dame's offense. Pauling, who produced 74 catches for 837 yards and 6 scores at Wisconsin in 2023 the last time he worked under the tutelage of current Irish wide receivers coach Mike Brown, is a dynamic playmaker with a reported 4.39 40-yard dash time. The addition of Fields' and Pauling's experience and proven production will allow the Irish to bring along Saldate and Williams at their own pace, and play them only when they are truly ready to contribute in a meaningful way. FAN FORUM BE HEARD! Send your letters to: sdowney@comanpub.com or mail to: Blue & Gold Illustrated, P. O. Box 2331, Durham, NC 27702 Notre Dame's 23-10 victory over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl Jan. 2 was their first in a major bowl game in 31 years. Fans reveled in the triumph and shared their memories of the Fighting Irish's big- gest wins over the years. Here is a small sample from what some had to say on our message board at BlueandGold.com. TMC3416: 1993 vs FSU. I was 9 years old and remember waking up early at the end of the season to check if ND got the NC and being so upset. My pops is now 80 years old and a diehard ND fan. I would love for them to win it this year for him. Kpaltman30: 1993 vs. FSU. I was 12 and watched the game with a bunch of kids in my neighborhood. Aside from a national championship win, that game will always be #1 for me. From the opening seg- ment on NBC to the final play of the game, that game was everything that is great about ND and college football in general. Rocket1972: Top 5 in my lifetime: 1988 Miami, 1993 FSU, 2024 Georgia, 1989 Colorado Orange Bowl and 1989 West Virginia. Alperry: I guess for me, Miami '88 comes to mind, and if we manage to beat PSU and go on to win the Championship, I'd say our victory over Miami that year would compare to our vanquishing UGA this year. But I also think of USC in '88. That game just proved how powerful we were, and then we dominated WVU in the Fiesta Bowl. Hrmn5681: Last night I was thinking of the top wins I've seen as a fan. The first game I watched was '89 at Michigan and was hooked. So top 3 for me is similar. I had: '93 FSU, '89 Colorado and 2024 Georgia. CTIrish80: Holtz era wins over USC, Miami and Florida State were epic. apegambino: If we are talking postseason it would be the 1992 Sugar Bowl win over Florida. 1993 FSU is just a little different for me because that was a regular-season game. FROM THE WEB .com .com JOIN THE CONVERSATION AT BLUEANDGOLD.COM! Sign up for just $1 for the first 7 days! Freshman wide receiver Logan Saldate has not seen the field much this season, but that doesn't mean he hasn't been developing behind the scenes. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER