Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1544292
26 APRIL/MAY 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY TYLER JAMES T he "Leave No Doubt" mantra head coach Marcus Freeman chose to guide Notre Dame football's 2026 campaign doesn't allow for mile- stones along the way. It's another way of embracing Freeman's constant chal- lenges of choosing hard, focusing on the process and controlling what's in front of his players and coaching staff. Though Notre Dame's break around Easter, which included a week between two practices, came with a feeling of reaching the halfway point of spring football, the Irish only completed six practices before Easter. So much work was left to be done before the Blue-Gold Game April 25, which counts as Notre Dame's 15th and final spring practice. The Irish still accomplished plenty in their first six practices of the spring. Notre Dame embraced the physicality that Freeman wanted to see within his program. Young and old players showed their dedication to improving, and a better understanding of what the Irish can become was established in those first two weeks. Here are five signs of progress on dis- play through Notre Dame's spring foot- ball start. 1. Wide Receiver Depth May Fi- nally Be Real Only one-half of Notre Dame's trans- fer portal haul at wide receiver was able to participate in spring practice, but Ohio State transfer Mylan Graham made a strong first impression. "He's a really good athlete," Notre Dame wide receivers coach Mike Brown said. "He's gifted. He's just so smart. He has a lot to learn but he picks things up really well." Graham, a redshirt sophomore, was active, but fellow Ohio State wide re- ceiver transfer Quincy Porter, a sopho- more, was sidelined while recovering from surgery on his left knee (patella). The former Buckeyes brought star power to the Irish roster as top-50 recruits out of high school, but the Irish won't have to be fully dependent on them. Jordan Faison quit lacrosse to focus on his senior season of football after leading the Irish in receptions (49) and receiving yards (640) last season. Red- shirt junior Jaden Greathouse is look- ing to rekindle his magical end of the 2024 season before being sidelined with a hamstring injury in 2025. Even the less experienced options im- pressed to start the spring. A healthy Micah Gilbert, a more consistent Cam Williams and a more versatile Logan Saldate represented a redshirt sopho- more class that may be ready to contrib- ute. Redshirt freshmen Elijah Burress and Jerome Bettis Jr. provided remind- ers they shouldn't be afterthoughts. Freshmen Bubba Frazier, Kaydon Finley and Devin Fitzgerald made plays when given opportunities. "Shout out to Coach Brown and the job he's done in recruiting and develop- ing," Freeman said. "He's done an excel- 2026 S P R I N G F O O T B A L L O V E R V I E W SIGNS OF PROGRESS Five positive developments from the start of Notre Dame football spring practices Ohio State transfer wide receiver Mylan Graham, a redshirt sophomore, headlined a group of receivers who looked ready to make an impact for the Irish this spring. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER