Micah Gilbert’s Confidence Surging as Irish WR Targets Consistency in 2026
Micah Gilbert flashed his potential in 2025.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound receiver burst onto the scene with a touchdown in the season opener at Miami, but a hand injury quickly derailed what could have been a strong redshirt freshman campaign.
The setback cost Gilbert games and, most of all, opportunity.
Now healthy, Gilbert is focused on building off those early flashes and turning them into consistent production this spring.
“It’s my year to just declare myself as one of the best receivers in college football,” Gilbert stated. “I have full confidence in my ability to do that. The main thing is to take care of business. Make sure my body's healthy, take care of my body. Just stay intentional with everything we do coming out here.”
The confidence is evident.
It’s not that the Charlotte native ever lacked belief in himself, but there’s now a sharper edge to it. Gilbert knows he has the tools and the next step is proving it every day.
“I believe since I came in here, I've had all the skill set in the world to play at this level and to compete at the highest levels,” explained Gilbert. “So really it just is translating that from doing it every day and consistently doing it and knowing you're the best versus anybody who steps in front of you.”
Gilbert logged over 100 snaps last season, giving him a foundation to build on. That experience, combined with a growing connection with his quarterback, CJ Carr, has only fueled his confidence.
The touchdown in Miami was an example of Gilbert’s ability to make plays, but also the trust Carr has in him.
“I think I had a fade ball,” Gilbert recalled. “Scramble breaks down. It's just find space, get open. I kind of stayed open. I was already there. I see CJ rolling back. I'm like, 'Oh man,' but we kind of got some connection. I just look at him, tell him, throw it up, throw it up, I'll jump and get it. He's such a good quarterback. He's able to deceive players and all that, no look and hit me right on the spot.”
That kind of non-verbal chemistry is critical and something Gilbert believes will elevate the entire receiver room.
“You’ve got to have a connection between quarterback and receiver,” stated Gilbert.
Notre Dame’s defense has also given Gilbert confidence that he can make plays. It’s not a secret that the Irish secondary is one of the elite groups in college football and Gilbert happens to face Leonard Moore, the nation’s top cornerback, every day in practice.
“It's confidence knowing I'm going against the best in the nation every day,” explained Gilbert. “The fact that we can make each other better every time we go good-on-good, it's a great thing to be on this team and be able to be in practice and go against the type of competition like that. It's a blessing and you take advantage of it every day.”
The boundary position appears to be a natural fit for Gilbert, and receivers coach Mike Brown believes his unique combination of size and quickness creates matchup problems.
“I think he’s a guy who can do a lot of different things,” Brown explained. “We can use him in the boundary. He’s got a unique skillset. He’s a bigger body, but he’s got really good quickness. He’s a really good route runner. So we’ll try to be creative in how we use all these guys, but especially him. Just taking advantage of his skill set.”
Gilbert spent last season soaking up as much as he could from Malachi Fields, who excelled in the boundary role.
One area stood out above the rest.
“His jump ball ability, his ability to attack the ball was something that I really watched and tried to take notes of because I felt like that was the next part of my game,” Gilbert said. “I can run routes well. I can stretch the field. I can go deep. Now adding the ability to rise up and get it to stretch the field creates a whole new level.”
Brown has already seen growth in that area this spring, along with a more complete approach to Gilbert’s game.
“He’s done a really good job,” stated Brown. “He’s maturing really well. He’s doing a great job of leading the new guys and he’s competing every single day. He’s really working his craft and that’s been a part of who he is.
“The big thing for him is consistency. He’s shown flashes in the past, but he’s got to be consistent. That’s one thing he’s done so far this spring.”
If that continues, Gilbert may not just flash in 2026, he could emerge as a key piece of Notre Dame’s offense.
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