As Notre Dame Football prepares to head to Green Bay, Wisconsin, to face the Wisconsin Badgers in the newest edition of the Shamrock Series, the Irish announced its captains for the 2026 season.
Among those named captains was former walk-on wide receiver Jordan Faison.
Faison recalls strength and conditioning coach Loren Landow pointing out to him that his role on the team was more important than he realized.
“Coach Landow, he kept coming up to me each week saying, you've got a lot of pull on this team,” said Faison. “Your work means a lot. Just keep rolling. Keep doing what you're doing. When the time comes to stand up there and choose who the captains are, he's like, ‘I want you to be up there.’ From that kind of point, I was like, okay, my role on this team is a little bit bigger. I need to provide for the guys on the team. When I was going to captain, it was a surreal feeling knowing guys like this.”
Even with Landow’s comments, Faison recalled still being surprised when he was named a captain.
“Yeah, I was a little surprised to be captain,” Faison said. “It wasn't a thing that I was completely focused on. I was going to keep being the same guy that I was for the team whether I was voted captain or not. The guys that voted me captain, it was just a great honor.”
One of the things Faison is looking to change as a captain is how the Irish start the season.
After starting 2025 0-2, Faison emphasized the importance of starting the 2026 season on a faster note.
“Starting faster means you start some practice,” Faison said. “Coming out here and attacking practice, starting faster practice, and being able to continue that out for the rest of practice. Ultimately, practice is going to be harder than the game for us, so being able to handle that out here on the field is a big deal.”
Another one of the captains the Irish named was quarterback CJ Carr.
Faison posted career-best numbers with Carr at the helm last season and his is the first season of his career that he has spent two seasons with the same quarterback.
“Yeah, it's great,” said Faison. “The connection throughout the summers and springs, fall camp. It's great, especially going into year two now. All of us are on the same page with CJ. We've got on the same page. We have that kind of connection. It's pretty good.”
The work that Carr and Faison have worked on in the offseason could lead to more explosive plays for the Irish offense this season and especially against the Badgers.
“I'm interested to see how explosive we can be,” Faison said. “Just going out there, all the work we've been putting in throughout camp, throughout the summer, and being able to put out a display for the world to see.”
However, Faison doesn’t just impact the game on offense.
As a punt returner, Faison recognizes that he can impact the game on special teams as well.
“We're a pretty heavy special team,” Faison said. “We care a lot about special teams, so making plays and changing the field position. Whenever the ball's in my hands, I make a play for the squad. That's why I try and do it.”
Whatever the Irish need from Faison, he is prepared to offer, whether that’s as a captain, receiver or punt returner.
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