Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1546639
BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM SEPT. 26, 2026 19 Early in preseason ball, the team went out for pizza and Faison sat with the veterans. He opened up, and as they got to know him, they realized what he was really made of. It wasn't disconnection. It was humility. "He's not quiet because he's full of himself," Entenmann said. "It's the op- posite. He's quiet because he's putting his head down to go to work and prove himself in this locker room, and I think that's exactly what he did." There's also the matter of Faison's play on the field, which was excep- tional. He didn't assume anything, de- spite coming in as a top-50 national la- crosse recruit, but it was clear early that he would start on Day 1. "It was probably the first practice where he exploded," Pat Kavanagh said. "I don't even know if he was dodging, but it was the first time anyone saw him sprint. We were like, 'This kid's a dif- ferent type of athlete that we haven't played with yet in our career.'" Despite showing out immediately in practice, Faison still acted like a scout-team wide receiver. He did not ask which midfield line he would be on, even though the answer was "first." Even with his celebrity status, Faison was one of the guys. "He fit seamlessly into our locker room," Pat Kavanagh said. "He became best friends with all the other freshmen on the lacrosse team. We all couldn't have been more grateful for how awe- some of a teammate Jordan was." They also respected the work ethic Faison showed despite diving right into preseason lacrosse from postseason football, with little break in between. Pat Kavanagh said he seemed exhausted at times, but he didn't let that stop him. It's the same work ethic that earned Faison captain status on the football team, where he rose from the scout team to the starting lineup to No. 1 wide receiver status and eventually to cap- taincy. Notre Dame offensive coordina- tor Mike Denbrock believes that's what eventually put him over the top. "He's done nothing since he walked into the program but earn everything he's gotten," Denbrock said. "And that's a hell of an example to make for people around you, right? "For them to know it, them to be able to see it, and it to be an everyday thing, that's pretty powerful stuff." PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE, AND WR1 The night before Notre Dame defeated Maryland in the 2024 men's lacrosse national championship, Entenmann and Pat Kavanagh found themselves in the hotel training room with Faison. They were stretching, recovering and chatting about nothing in particular. It was an exercise in de-stressing in the calm before the storm. However, the Tewaaraton finalists couldn't help but notice Faison's banded hip mobil- ity routine. His intentional approach to every movement made him look like he was already a professional. "I was just watching him prepare, and just like, 'Wow, this is an 18 or 19-year- old freshman,'" Kavanagh said. "His preparation was more professional than mine, and I'm a 23-year-old, fifth-year senior." Kavanagh struggled with hip tight- ness throughout his career, so he picked Faison's brain about it. "I think it just goes to show, like, that's a guy that's just about his busi- ness," Entenmann said. "For as many times as people see the touchdowns or the behind-the-back goals or the punt returns or the human clear on the la- crosse field, he's about his business and he is process-oriented over outcome- oriented. That, more than anything, points to why he's been successful." Faison's preparation led to one of those behind-the-back goals in the title game, which the Irish won 15-5. He was the same player on Memorial Day 2024 that he was throughout the rest of his freshman year. "We've never had to worry about what Jordan's nerves or his attention to detail in big moments were gonna be," Chris Kavanagh said. "We always relied on that first line, and he was a part of that. Never had any doubt he was ready for the moment." Faison has been ready for each mo- ment that has come his way since then on the football field, too. After an injury-plagued regular sea- son, Faison caught 7 passes for 89 yards during Notre Dame's College Football Playoff victory over Indiana in De- cember 2024 (incidentally, that's still the Hoosiers' most recent loss). Fully healthy in 2025, he led the Irish with 49 receptions and 640 receiving yards. Fai- son established himself as junior quar- terback CJ Carr's favorite target, which he remains to this day. That breakout season led Faison to give up lacrosse, a decision that he said gave him a "healed body" entering Week 1. It also gave him his best offsea- son yet, and the Irish expect another step forward. "I think he's put himself in a position, both physically and mentally, to just raise the level that he already brought to the team," Denbrock said. "Which is a pretty high level to begin with. And now, I think he's clearly kind of defined himself as wide receiver number one." ✦ Faison, who was a top-50 national lacrosse recruit, is the fifth Notre Dame football captain who began his career as a walk-on since 2000. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER