{"id":73338,"date":"2025-04-05T09:00:04","date_gmt":"2025-04-05T13:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/?p=73338"},"modified":"2025-09-20T14:13:57","modified_gmt":"2025-09-20T18:13:57","slug":"mike-browns-push-for-notre-dame-wide-receivers-aim-higher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2025\/04\/05\/mike-browns-push-for-notre-dame-wide-receivers-aim-higher\/","title":{"rendered":"Mike Brown\u2019s Push for Notre Dame Wide Receivers: Aim Higher"},"content":{"rendered":"

With seven spring practices in the books, Notre Dame wide receivers coach Mike Brown says his pass catchers are focused on making strides and elevating their performance for the 2025 season. While there is a three-way battle at quarterback<\/a>, Notre Dame\u2019s wide receivers remain a significant question mark ahead of the 2025 season. With 2024 standouts Beaux Collins and Kris Mitchell moving on, the Irish will be seeking leadership from the likes of Jaden Greathouse<\/a>, Jordan Faison<\/a>, and Virginia transfer Malachi Fields<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At a press conference on Thursday, wide receivers coach Mike Brown discussed his objectives for the room this spring. He also touched on the heightened expectations that loom for the upcoming campaign, all centered on a clear mandate to reach a higher level of play.<\/p>\n

Mike Brown\u2019s Push for Notre Dame Wide Receivers<\/h2>\n

Mike Brown Defines His Goals<\/h3>\n

\u201cWe need to continue to get better every single day,\u201d Brown said from the podium. \u201cWe need to continue to learn the offense, not just the \u2018what\u2019 but the \u2018why\u2019 to what we\u2019re doing and mastering the system. That\u2019s the big thing for us in taking that next step. Last year was year one. This is year two now in this system for everybody. We need to continue to raise expectations and raise the bar from a learning aspect. We also need to get better from a technical standpoint and establish who our leaders are. That will continue to build camaraderie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Greathouse, a junior, also spoke during the press conference. Greathouse caught 42 passes last season for 592 yards and four touchdowns. In the National Championship game against Ohio State<\/a>, Greathouse had six receptions for a game-high and career-high 128 yards. He also scored two touchdowns. In the game, he became the first Irish player since Javon McKinley in 2020 to have consecutive games with 100-plus receiving yards. In Notre Dame\u2019s Orange Bowl win over Penn State, Greathouse hauled in seven catches on seven targets for a then career-high 105 yards receiving. He provides this year\u2019s young wide receiver group with veteran leadership.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the freshmen call me \u2018Unc.\u2019 I\u2019m only 20, but I guess I\u2019m one of the older guys now,\u201d Greathouse shared. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely a blessing to be in this position and to be able to be an example for everybody else in the room. I want to continue leading by example and help everybody else. I want to make the overall room better. I\u2019m trying to push myself to be better and everybody else to be better every single day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cam Williams and Logan Saldate Making Strides<\/h3>\n

Brown is looking to Cam Williams and Logan Saldate<\/a> to step up their games for 2025. Williams, a four-star recruit by 247 Sports<\/em>, ESPN<\/em>, and Rivals.com<\/em>, was the 25th-ranked\u00a0prospect nationally and the sixth-ranked wide receiver by On3<\/em>. He made his collegiate debut last year against Virginia.<\/p>\n

Saldate, also a four-star recruit by On3<\/em>, 247Sports<\/em>, and Rivals.com<\/em>, made his Irish debut last season against Florida State. He was the 290th<\/sup>-ranked player nationally and the 48th<\/sup>-ranked wide receiver by On3<\/em> in the 2024 class.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir spring has been good so far,\u201d Brown said of Williams and Saldate. “Cam looks like a completely different person than he did last spring. His growth has been good. He still has a way to go, but he is getting challenged every day, and he is lined up against Leonard Moore every single snap, so it\u2019s a good challenge for him. He is getting better and gaining confidence in his technique.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith Logan, he is making some strides as well,\u201d Brown continued. \u201cHe started out on the scout team (last year). The thing I love about him is he is a sponge. He is soaking in a bunch of knowledge from the older guys and applying that to his game. Both of those guys have done a good job. I\u2019m excited for the remainder of spring to watch them compete.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for Faison, who also plays lacrosse for Notre Dame, Brown said, \u201cIt\u2019s good to have him around a lot more this spring. He\u2019s getting better and better. He is learning the offense better. And he is recognizing defenses better. He understands more about his route running and keeping his leverage. There are a lot of little things about his game that have gotten better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Micah Gilbert Injured<\/h3>\n

Rising sophomore Micah Gilbert<\/a>, a four-star recruit, broke his hand on the first day of spring practice, it was reported this week. Gilbert played three games for Notre Dame last season. He did not catch any passes. With Greathouse, Faison, and Fields limited in availability this spring, Gilbert figured to get important reps this Spring. The good news is that Gilbert\u2019s recovery timetable should have him ready for fall preparations. Gilbert was a high school teammate of Notre Dame defensive lineman Bryce Young<\/a> and was the nation\u2019s 35th<\/sup>-ranked wide receiver by ESPN<\/em> in the 2024 class.<\/p>\n

Looking Ahead<\/h3>\n

Despite the setback suffered by Gilbert, the Notre Dame wide receivers seem to be showcasing a promising trajectory this spring. With much to prove and a clear charge from Brown to elevate their game, the Irish\u2019s wide receivers appear to be demonstrating a collective focus and positive momentum.<\/p>\n

Spring practice is all about building foundations. And Notre Dame\u2019s young receivers are doing just that, laying crucial groundwork for their breakout potential. Regardless of who takes snaps under center, one truth remains: Mike Brown\u2019s highly touted receiving corps holds the key to unlocking Notre Dame\u2019s offensive potential. They are a talent-rich group, hungry to prove their worth and meet the lofty expectations surrounding the Irish offense.<\/p>\n

Main Image: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With seven spring practices in the books, Notre Dame wide receivers coach Mike Brown says his pass catchers are focused on making strides and elevating their performance for the 2025 season. While there is a three-way battle at quarterback, Notre Dame\u2019s wide receivers remain a significant question mark ahead of the 2025 season. With 2024 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4854,"featured_media":73349,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,10906,8,11,35676],"tags":[9141,6863,259],"class_list":["post-73338","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-cfb","category-fbs","category-independents","category-notre-dame-fighting-irish","tag-cam-williams","tag-javon-mckinley","tag-notre-dame-fighting-irish"],"modified_by":"Michael Kovacs, ADMIN","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4854"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73338"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73338\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73350,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73338\/revisions\/73350"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/73349"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}