Unexpected Strength: Notre Dame Unit Ranks Among Nation’s Best

Notre Dame had successful 2024 season offensively but will certainly look a bit different this fall. The loss of quarterback Riley Leonard to the NFL is part of the reason, as is in the increase in talent at wide receiver.

Wide receiver has been a bit of a challenge for Notre Dame for quite some time, but things appear to be on the rise. Pro Football Focus ranked the top 10 wide receiver units in college football ahead of the 2025 season, and Notre Dame made the cut.

Sure, the Fighting Irish came in with what PFF calls the nation's 10th best group, but that's a significant step in the right direction regarding Notre Dame and the position. Here is what PFF had to say about Notre Dame's wide receiver group.

While he didn’t receive as much hype as other receivers in the transfer portal, Malachi Fields was still one of the best options available. The former Virginia Cavalier leads all returning Power Four pass catchers in receiving yards since 2023 (1,619).

Jaden Greathouse is back for his junior year after leading the Fighting Irish with 592 receiving yards this past season. He was one of the 25 most valuable wideouts in the nation, according to PFF WAA. Jordan Faison is also back for another year as Notre Dame’s No. 3 receiver. To cap it all off, the Fighting Irish added Wisconsin’s Will Pauling from the transfer portal. His 18 contested catches over the past two seasons were the third most among Big Ten wideouts.

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Takeaway:

Notre Dame has forever been built on running the football, and that won't change, but the threat to connect on deep downfield passes with more regularity seems much stronger in 2025. With one of the nation's top offensive lines returning as well as the nation's best running back, this is giving first-time starting quarterback CJ Carr (or Kenny Minchey) a ton of talent to help make his job easier.