Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MARCH 2026 27 2025 S P R I N G F O O T B A L L O V E R V I E W WIDE RECEIVERS 2026 S P R I N G F O O T B A L L O V E R V I E W BY ERIC HANSEN W hen recruiting the current five-man freshman fleet of wide receivers during and after the 2024 national runner-up season, Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock would mindfully show them what he thought the future would look like. And it wasn't Notre Dame game film. Rather, it was video clips of LSU's offense that Denbrock presided over in 2023 that featured nightmare matchups with the Tigers' wide receivers for opposing defenses, a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback (Jayden Daniels), and No. 1 national statis- tical rankings in both scoring (45.5 points) and yards (543.5) per game. LSU was also the No. 1 team in pass efficiency that year with a rating of 192.5. From a pure speed and athleticism quotient at wide receiver, the future appears to have arrived in South Bend. That's in part because of that aforementioned freshman wide receiver class — all early enrollees — led by Kaydon Finley; in part because of what Notre Dame returned in the position group that now checks in at 14 scholarship players; and in very large part because of the two underclassmen at wide receiver Notre Dame pulled from the transfer portal, Quincy Porter and Mylan Graham, both of whom suited up for Ohio State last season. Irish fans and media likely won't get a good look at Porter, a sophomore, until fall camp because the 6-foot-4, 197-pound former five-star pros- pect is working his way back from an offseason cleanup procedure for a fall knee injury. The recovery isn't expected to negatively impact his availability for the 2026 season or the August training camp onramp. Notre Dame's best blend of pure speed and plug-and-play ability could be the redshirt sophomore Graham at the outside field spot, Porter into the boundary and senior JORDAN FAISON — the Irish's leading receiver in 2025 — sliding back over to his natural slot position. There are few college defenses that could han- dle all three, in man coverage anyway, without springing a leak. But redshirt junior Jaden Greathouse is a different kind of mismatch. He has enough speed to shed a "possession receiver" description and brings a powerful body and precise route-running to create mismatches in the red zone in particular, especially against slot corners/nickels who lack physicality. So to make it all fit, Faison could play inside and out. Or Notre Dame could line up four wide at times, in essence with two slot receivers. It's a first-world problem, and the Irish are better for having it. ✦ PERSONNEL UPDATE Position Coach: Mike Brown (3rd season) Returning Starters: Jaden Greathouse (18 ca- reer starts) and Jordan Faison (16) Projected New Starter: Quincy Porter Returning Reserves: Jerome Bettis Jr., Elijah Burress, Micah Gilbert, Matt Jeffery, Logan Saldate and Cam Williams Departing Players: Malachi Fields (37, 12 at Notre Dame), Will Pauling (31, 6 at Notre Dame), Scrap Richardson and KK Smith Transferred In: Mylan Graham from Ohio State and Porter from Ohio State Transferred Out: Richardson to Auburn and Smith to Michigan State Incoming Freshmen: Dylan Faison, Kaydon Finley, Devin Fitzgerald, Bubba Frazier and Brayden Robinson POSITION BATTLE TO WATCH JOSTLING ON THE BOUNDARY With Ohio State transfer and likely 2026 starter Quincy Porter out or limited in spring practice, the two players with the best chance of joining returnees Jordan Faison, Jaden Greathouse and transfer Mylan Graham as starters will likely soak up most of the boundary receiver reps in the spring. Specifically, that's redshirt sophomores Micah Gilbert and Cam Williams. If both players shine, there's a good chance Williams could move over to the field receiver spot to help decongest the depth chart. NUMBERS TO KNOW 0 Career starts for the 12 scholarship receivers on the Irish roster outside of Jordan Faison and Jaden Greathouse. That includes Matt Jef- fery, who is on a lacrosse scholarship. Faison is the only one of the 14 with expiring eligibility in 2026. 10 Drops for the Notre Dame of- fense had collectively in 2025 among wide receivers, tight ends and running backs. That's down from 20 in 2024, albeit in more games played. Jordan Faison improved dramatically, going from 6 to 2. 47 Was the number of spots Notre D a m e 's te a m - re c e i v i n g ra n k i n g moved up in Pro Football Focus' film grade ratings in 2025. The Irish ranked 53rd in 2024, with a score of 71.4. In 2025, they were sixth with a score of 82.4. ALL EYES ON … REDSHIRT JUNIOR JADEN GREATHOUSE In the summer before a season of frustration, some NFL scouts were convinced Greathouse was Notre Dame's second-best draft-eligible NFL prospect on the roster, behind running back Jeremiyah Love. Instead Greathouse made just two starts and played in just four games in 2025 due to a chronic hamstring injury. But it came with a silver lining of allowing him to recoup a year of eligibility as a medi- cal redshirt. This spring we get the first glimpses of what redemption looks like. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER