Make no mistake, Notre Dame has high expectations for its receiver group in 2026.
For the first time in a few years, the Fighting Irish appear to have the ideal blend of proven experience paired with an influx of high-end talent. That combination has not only raised the ceiling of the room, but also created daily competition across all three receiver spots.
Receivers coach Mike Brown wouldn’t have it any other way.
“That’s what it’s all about,” Brown explained. “The more competition you can create in the room, the better the older guys are going to get. 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.
“It just makes that competitive nature. It’s healthy because they’re all working together, they’re all helping each other. It’s a good thing.”
Spring football is a time where players can show that development or why they aren’t fits in a specific spot. The other piece of the spring is that Brown can start to develop the room's identity and he’s seen that through six practices.
“Play hard, play fast, play together,” stated Brown. “If somebody comes and watches Notre Dame wide receivers play, those are the three things I want them to say. Those dudes play really hard, those dudes play fast and boy, do they play together.
“Beyond that, I’m good. That’s the culture that we want. We have talent. We’ve got all those things. It’s those things that I think will set you apart.”
The spring also provides the flexibility to experiment. Brown is taking full advantage, especially when it comes to moving players around.
Transfer receiver Mylan Graham is a prime example. Initially expected to work outside, Graham has spent significant time in the slot early on, where his skill set has flashed.
“We’re going to move him around,” explained Brown. “We’re going to move a few of these guys around and try to figure out what the best combination is. The good thing is we don’t have a game tomorrow and I don’t have to make a decision. We’ll use Mylan inside and we’ll use him outside and try to take advantage of his skillset. We’ve got to have some versatility there.”
Graham isn’t the only receiver who will get work at multiple positions. Several of Notre Dame’s upperclassmen will get a chance to move around this spring.
“(Jordan) Faison will move around,” said Brown. “Mylan will move around. Logan Saldate was playing inside and outside, and then as we go, we’ll see. Cam Williams may play a little bit of field and boundary. We’ve just got to find the right combination and put guys in the best positions that they can excel at.”
That versatility extends throughout the room.
Jordan Faison, Logan Saldate and Cam Williams are all getting work at multiple spots as the staff searches for the best combinations and fits.
Redshirt freshman Elijah Burress has remained outside for now, but could eventually see time inside once he masters the field position.
Saldate, in particular, continues to generate buzz. The California native is one of Notre Dame’s top athletes on the roster and appears to be hitting his stride.
“Logan is a competitor,” stated Brown. “He does whatever you ask him to do. He’ll stick his nose in there. He ain’t afraid of anything, works his tail off. He just wants to get better. You love guys who just work.
“He’s done a good job of adjusting. There’s been a bit of a learning curve in terms of things that he knows, but he’s been so accustomed to being in the slot. There’s some little minute differences, but he’s doing a good job.”
In the boundary, Micah Gilbert is another name trending upward. After battling injuries earlier in his career, the Charlotte native is healthy and beginning to put it all together.
“He’s maturing really well,” Brown explained. “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.
“He’s got to be consistent. That’s one thing he’s done so far this spring. So we just have to take it one game at a time and just keep taking steps forward and getting better and better.”
The youth movement is also underway. Early enrollees Kaydon Finley, Devin Fitzgerald and Bubba Frazier are getting their first taste of college football this spring, while Dylan Faison remains with the lacrosse program and Brayden Robinson continues to rehab from a torn ACL.
For the freshmen, the focus is simple. Don’t overload them too quickly.
“We tried to keep them in one spot, especially early on,” explained Brown. “Bubba Frazier, for example. How many positions do you want him to know? You try to be cautious with that, so you don’t put too much on them.
“Now, we challenge them a lot. By formation, we may move them, so they’re going to have to know it anyway. But you try to keep those guys locked in as much as you can early on.”
With double-digit scholarship receivers on the roster, managing reps becomes its own challenge, but one Brown has embraced.
“We’ll have six guys that rotate with the ones,” said Brown. “Another six that will rotate with the twos. So you don’t kill them, you don’t run them into the ground. That’s all we do is run. We get to the basics period, where we get some of the young guys, so you can steal some reps there. There’s different ways.
“Every once in a while, guys go down, and the next guy has to be ready to go. It usually works itself out. We come in with a plan and always have to adjust it. The guys have been great about it. They know they have to take advantage of the reps that they get.”
Want the latest scoop on the Fighting Irish? Sign up for our newsletter and become an ISD Premium Subscriber: Sign Up for ISD
YETI Notre Dame Fighting Irish 18oz. Rambler Chug Water Bottle
