SOUTH BEND — When it comes to Notre Dame football and its 15-deep stash of scholarship wide receivers, roles and snap counts figure to be a fluid operation.
“I told them I make the depth chart on Day 1 and then they make it from there,” third-year receivers coach Mike Brown said in the spring. “It’s just about opportunities and guys capitalizing on those opportunities. And then consistency is the big thing.”
With Malachi Fields and Will Pauling taking their group-topping totals to the NFL, the Irish must replace those 62 combined catches for more than 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Ohio State transfers Mylan Graham and Quincy Porter will get a long look this fall camp, especially Graham after he shined all spring in the slot. Porter, coming off a left patellar procedure this offseason, has more ground to make up, but he projects as a boundary weapon in the Fields mold.
Fourth-year wideouts Jordan Faison and Jaden Greathouse are known quantities by now, although Greathouse was limited to just four games last year by a significant hamstring injury. Greathouse’s freshman season in 2023 also was marked by lingering hamstring woes.
“He’s finally healthy,” Irish coach Marcus Freeman told reporters of Greathouse in late July. “How do we keep him healthy? We have to be intentional about certain things to make sure that we have them when it matters. Every individual is not the same.”
Micah Gilbert and Elijah Burress lead an ever-growing list of rising young wideouts with family connections to the NFL. Midyear enrollees Devin Fitzgerald (Larry) and Kaydon Finley (Jermichael) learned the game from their NFL dads, as did second-year wideout Jerome Bettis Jr.
Third-year wideouts Logan Saldate and Cam Williams have been in Mike Denbrock’s offense from the start, so it’s time for one or both to step up after limited chances thus far.
“The more competition you can create in the room, the better the older guys are going to get,” Brown said. “They’re going to feel like they’re getting pushed. You’re out for a day and somebody else goes in and they make some plays, it’s hard to watch.”
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
Projected Notre Dame wide receiver depth chart
6 | WR | Jordan Faison | 5-11, 185 | 4Y
3 | WR | Mylan Graham | 6-1, 192 | 3Y
14 | WR | Micah Gilbert | 6-2, 205 | 3Y
1 | WR | Jaden Greathouse | 6-1, 215 | 4Y
17 | WR | Elijah Burress | 6-1, 190 | 2Y
0 | WR | Quincy Porter | 6-4, 207 | 2Y
19 | WR | Logan Saldate | 5-11, 185 | 3Y
5 | WR | Cam Williams | 6-2, 201 | 3Y
33 | WR | Matt Jeffery | 5-11, 195 | 3Y
11 | WR | Devin Fitzgerald | 6-2, 208 | 1Y
4 | WR | Bubba Frazier | 5-10, 182 | 1Y
18 | WR | Kaydon Finley | 6-1, 207 | 1Y
8 | WR | Jerome Bettis Jr. | 6-2, 199 | 2Y
15 | WR | Brayden Robinson | 5-7, 168 | 1Y
16 | WR | Dylan Faison | 6-2, 163 | 1Y
Bold denotes projected starter
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Options abound in talented Notre Dame receiver room going into 2026
Reporting by Mike Berardino, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
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By Mike Berardino, South Bend Tribune | USA TODAY Network
