The competition within Notre Dame's receiver room isn't simply about determining who starts.
With increased depth, athleticism and several players capable of lining up at multiple positions, receivers coach Mike Brown is trying to determine which combinations give the Irish the most each week.
Brown believes Notre Dame's primary rotation will probably settle somewhere around six receivers, but that doesn't necessarily mean the opportunities will stop there.
"If you're talking like main rotation, you're probably thinking six," Brown said following Sunday's practice. "I think there's game plan specific things, right? Maybe it's a specific personnel package for a seventh guy depending on skill set or what it is that they do."
Brown has experience managing a room with even more players involved. In 2024, he said the Irish had eight receivers with specific roles. This year's group could provide similar flexibility.
"It all depends,” he said. “What's the game plan? What are guys' skill sets? What do they bring to us in a particular week? How can we use them? But again, those are good problems to have."
The decisions are complicated by the fact that Brown believes this year's room has some qualities that separate it from the one Notre Dame had last season.
"I think last year's group was really good,” he said. “Obviously you got two guys playing in the NFL (Malachi Fields and Will Pauling). But I think this group is a little bit different and I think it's a little bit deeper now.
"I think that athleticism is different, so it's exciting. It's really, really exciting."
Brown believes Notre Dame has multiple receivers capable of creating problems for tacklers.
"We’ve got some elusive guys that can run a little bit and it's going to be fun to see those guys in space,” he said.
The Irish also have the ability to move several of their more experienced receivers around.
Jaden Greathouse and Jordan Faison have already demonstrated that versatility. Micah Gilbert has played both field and boundary. In fact, Brown said most of Notre Dame's veteran receivers have worked at multiple positions at some point.
"Especially guys that have been here, those guys know the offense,” he said. “We move guys around formationally a lot anyways, so they got to learn their jobs. But almost all of those guys have played a different position at some point."
That flexibility could allow Notre Dame to get Greathouse, Faison and Mylan Graham on the field together even without one of them fitting the traditional mold of a field receiver.
After being sidelined by injuries last season, Greathouse has impressed Brown throughout camp and has received some work in different spots.
“I think this is the best that I've seen him, even just from a mental standpoint,” Brown said. “He's in a great space.
"I'm really excited about where he is. You're seeing flashes of him making some plays that you saw a couple of years ago."
Brown isn't ruling out using Greathouse into the boundary either.
"I love Jaden and if he gives us the best opportunity in certain situations, then that's what we'll do," Brown said. "I think he's playing his tail off right now with where he's at. We've toyed around with it a little bit and moving him around to some different spots. It's just about what gives us the best opportunity to win."
Faison presents another challenge for opposing defenses.
After spending previous offseasons balancing football and lacrosse, Faison has been with the football program consistently this year. The difference is obvious, according to Brown.
"I think physically he looks different," said Brown. "I think just with him being around more, like his leadership and his presence has felt a lot more. And that's huge for our room where we are with so many young guys and so many new guys."
Brown said Faison has always possessed a natural feel.
"Those are some of the things that are really hard to coach," he explained. "An awareness of where people are around you. I think that's something that he's always had. Even when he wasn't super familiar with what we're doing, he knew where people were.
"That gave him a good chance to be successful. Now he's adding his football knowledge to that and it's just getting better and better."
His physical traits amplify that awareness.
"He's got a really good short area quickness," Brown said. "He always makes the first guy miss and he's a lot stronger than you'd think when you look at him physically. And he has got strong hands. He's done a much better job in contested catch situations.
"I think when you combine those things with his spatial awareness and his feel for the game, it makes him really tough to guard and tough to bring down."
Gilbert is also making a push for a larger role, particularly into the boundary.
Brown pushed the junior to become a more consistent player this offseason.
"Absolutely," Brown said. "A lot more consistent than in previous years and that's a testament to his hard work. We challenged him, we challenged really hard going into the spring. He's risen to the occasion, so I'm pleased with where he's at and where he is going."
Practicing against elite cornerback Leonard Moore hasn't hurt.
"It's the best corner in the nation that you're going against every single day, right?" Brown said. "It doesn't get any better than that. And so, iron sharpens iron, and they battle, they go back and forth. A lot more than people would think.
"It's been fun to really watch Micah's progression. I'm excited about his growth and where he's headed."
Graham is another piece Brown is watching closely as he continues settling into the program after transferring from Ohio State.
"He's adjusting well,” Brown said. “He's fitting into the group, I think, a lot more now. I think all the new guys, they're all just bonding together a lot better.
"Those are the things that you worry about, right? You got so many new faces, like how will they gel with the guys that have been here? Can we get them on the same page and doing the things we do?"
Another former Buckeye, Quincy Porter is also a potential option, although Brown isn't putting a timetable on how quickly he'll be ready to assume a larger workload.
"We'll take it day by day," Brown said of Porter, who has been limited thus far. "He's doing a great job with the things we're asking. He's looking good, moving around. We'll take it day by day."
With several weeks remaining before the season begins, Brown isn't ready to declare exactly how all of the pieces will fit together.
He does know having this many possibilities is preferable to the alternative.
"I think it usually sorts itself out kind of organically," Brown said. "It's tough. I told them, I got a tough job, you know what I mean?
"And that's a good problem to have."
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