Transfer Wide Receivers Malachi Fields And Will Pauling Are Poised For A Big Year For Notre Dame

For the second straight season Notre Dame is expecting some impactful performances from a pair of transfer portal wide receivers. Last season, Beaux Collins (Clemson), Kris Mitchell (Florida International) and Jayden Harrison (Marshall) played their final years of eligibility in South Bend. All three players played roles in Notre Dame's run to the national title game.

This season, the Irish are hoping that Virginia transfer Malachi Fields and Wisconsin transfer Will Pauling will have an even greater impact than the 2024 transfers. Now that fall camp is past the halfway point, receivers coach Mike Brown has a strong idea of what both players bring to the offense.

"We’re hoping that he brings an even bigger presence into the boundary," Brown explained when asked about Fields. "Guys want to play 1-on-1 coverage out there, and you have a bunch of great running backs and a great offensive line. When you have that, it takes a lot of stress off a lot of different things. We’re hoping that’s what he brings to us this year.

We’ll move him around; we won’t just leave him in the boundary. We’ll move him all over the place and find different ways to get him the ball because he’s that type of player and I think you have to do that. That’s what we’re hoping for."

Brown also had a previous relationship with Pauling during his time at Cincinnati and Wisconsin. Brown recruited Pauling to Cincinnati out of high school, and when Brown was hired at Wisconsin he followed his position coach to the Big Ten. His familiarity with the 5-10, 190-pound pass catcher made his transition to Notre Dame much smoother than anticipated.

"I’ve known him for a long time now," Brown said about Pauling. "He embodies everything that this place is about when it comes to toughness, grit, hard work and being a team-first guy. That’s who he is. So I knew it would be a perfect fit here. He’s always here, man. That’s the type of kid he is. He’s a competitor. He’s hungry. He’s a leader. He’s everything you ask for from a player."

Fields arrived on campus a semester after Pauling since he was finishing up his degree at Virginia. The minute the 6-4, 222-pound Virginia native arrived on campus, it was evident he would fit right into the locker room.

"I think Malachi is someone who, when he got here, it was pretty seamless," Pauling stated about his fellow transfer receiver. "I know a few times he was up here in the spring; that was big for him. Having him in the room is big time for us. He's a dynamic player and also he's a professional the way he goes about his things from day to day. I'm excited for what he's going to do for us. He's going to be big time for us."

Last season, Fields was a team captain for the Cavaliers, and the offense lost their only captain from last season when quarterback Riley Leonard departed for the NFL Draft. Fields has the opportunity to use his experience to help elevate the receiving room as a whole.

"I'm just trying to take what I know and instill it into others as well as listen to the younger guys and see what they have to add," Fields explained. "We all come from different parts of the world, and they’ve been a successful program. So just hearing what they have and bringing what I have, it’s been great leadership and competition all around."

Since 2023, Fields and Pauling have combined for 229 receptions, 2,863 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns. They've played a combined 2,547 snaps and have started a combined 47 games. Notre Dame got a lot of production, a lot of experience and a lot of talent from this duo in the transfer portal and they're expected to help elevate this passing game to the next level in 2025.

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