Mike Brown doesn't need Notre Dame's young receivers to prove they can do everything just yet.
The Irish receivers coach would rather simplify their responsibilities, allow them to play fast and give players like Matt Jeffrey, Devin Fitzgerald and Jerome Bettis Jr. the best opportunity to show what they can actually do.
Jeffrey provides an interesting example of how that process can look.
The junior didn't have the benefit of going through spring football with the Irish after spending the spring playing lacrosse. Despite the time away, Brown has been impressed by the progress Jeffrey has made.
"Matt's doing an unbelievable job, man," Brown said. "It's been really, really fun just to watch his growth. Obviously, we didn't have him in the spring with lacrosse. And so getting him back and just watching him from last season where we finished off to where he's at now, it's been pretty impressive, taking that he didn't have spring to kind of go through.
"I'm really excited about where he is at. We'll see where it ends up, and guys will keep competing. That's what training camp is for. But really happy with where he’s going."
Jeffrey isn't the only young receiver Brown is trying to bring along during preseason camp.
Fitzgerald, the son of former NFL legend Larry Fitzgerald, arrived at Notre Dame this year with plenty to learn before Brown starts worrying about how many different places he can line up.
"We’ve got him predominantly in a boundary right now,” said Brown. “I think it's a little bit unfair in certain circumstances to try to ask a freshman to learn a bunch of different positions.
“They're trying to figure out what the heck is college football, what is this terminology and on top of that to ask them to learn a million different things I think is a little unfair."
Brown's approach isn't necessarily an indication of how Fitzgerald will ultimately be used, though.
Once Notre Dame gets into the season and the offense is working with a more condensed weekly game plan, Brown believes there will be opportunities to expand what young players are asked to do. During camp, he wants to give them a chance to become comfortable enough to show the coaching staff what they can do.
"I think once you get into the season there's things that you can, when things are pared down to a specific game plan I think you can do some of that stuff," Brown said. "Right now just allowing those guys to compete and be comfortable so that they can put their best foot forward so we can get a good evaluation of them is everything right now."
Part of the challenge for not just Fitzgerald, but fellow freshman receivers Kaydon Finley, Dylan Faison, Brayden Robinson and Bubba Frazier, is simply adjusting to the complexity of a college offense.
"I think initially, probably the playbook," Brown said when asked which presents the bigger challenge for freshmen. "Coming from high school, a lot of these guys are like, one word told us everything we needed to know, and all of a sudden there's a 10-word play call. And you're like, which one's mine?
"You've seen coverage probably, at least a little bit your whole life and we try to simplify it. But I would definitely say playbook was probably the toughest part early on."
As a sophomore, Bettis, the son of Notre Dame legend Jerome Bettis, is further along in that process.
"Bettis has done a good job with all the things that we've asked him to do," Brown said. "He's gotten his opportunities. I think he's taken advantage of them.
"Again, it's really, really a competitive position. And I think all of those guys are making each other better. So it's been good to see."
Want the latest scoop on Notre Dame Football and Recruiting? Sign up for our newsletter and become an ISD Premium Subscriber: Sign Up for ISD
Under Armour Navy Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2026 Sideline Performance Cotton Long Sleeve T-Shirt
