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Notre Dame Football: A look at the Wide Receivers in 2020

By Mason Plummer

ORLANDO, FL - DECEMBER 28: Braden Lenzy #25 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs with the ball after catching a pass against Braxton Lewis #33 of the Iowa State Cyclones in the first half of the Camping World Bowl at Camping World Stadium on December 28, 2019 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - DECEMBER 28: Braden Lenzy #25 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs with the ball after catching a pass against Braxton Lewis #33 of the Iowa State Cyclones in the first half of the Camping World Bowl at Camping World Stadium on December 28, 2019 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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ATHENS, GEORGIA – SEPTEMBER 21: Lawrence Keys III #13 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looks for yards during a first half run against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium on September 21, 2019 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Slot Receiver

At the slot receiver position, there is a ton of talent, but most of it is unproven. Losing senior Chris Finke will definitely hurt production, but junior Lawrence Keys III got quite a bit of work in the slot this season and was impressive.

Outside of Keys, not much proven talent; but there is a TON of upside with the guys behind him.

First off, let’s discuss the aforementioned Lawrence Keys III. Last season, Keys had 13 catches for 134 yards and 0 TDs, along with 6 carries for 45 yards on the ground. Keys battled injuries all year long and never truly looked healthy. His route-running and shiftiness remained impressive and will solidify him in the starting spot for this fall.

Keys was a highly-touted recruit out of New Orleans, LA, ranked as a 4-star (.9026) WR and the 47th best WR in the nation. The junior has proven to be someone to watch with the ball in his hands and he will likely have a much greater role in the offense this upcoming season.

Next, is sophomore WR Kendall Abdul-Rahman. Recruited to Notre Dame as an athlete, ‘KAR’ redshirted in 2019. He will have plenty of opportunities to prove himself this Spring and will need to do so to earn more playing time this fall.

Ranked on 247sports as a 3-star (.8789) ATH, Abdur-Rahman was a two-time All-state selection from Edwardsville HS in Illinois. KAR rushed for 1,135 yards and 19 TDs as a senior in 2018, and also threw for 647 yards and 15 TDs.

Like Micah Jones, Abdur-Rahman will need to make a move sooner rather than later. However, the upside with KAR is much greater.

Perhaps the most underrated recruit in the entirety of the 2020 recruiting class is Notre Dame commit, Xavier Watts. Rated as just a 3-star (.8810) on 247sports, it is widely believed that Watts may be the most likely to contribute as a freshman, over the likes of 5-stars Jordan Johnson and Chris Tyree.

The Omaha, Nebraska product had otherworldly stats in high school. In his junior and senior seasons, Watts totaled 65 catches for 1093 yards and 15 TDs and 61 catches for 1072 yards and 13 TDs respectively. If you throw in his sophomore year stats as well, Watts racked up 161 catches for 2978 yards and 37 TDs.

Watts is an unreal athlete and is expected to come in and immediately compete with Lawrence Keys for snaps. He has the speed to be a game-breaker and will be a great WR for Notre Dame for years to come.

Isaiah Robertson falls next in the pecking order. Robertson, now a senior with two years left of eligibility, has bounced around as an ND player. Originally a safety, Robertson moved to WR but has made little-to-no impact.

Robertson played in 12 games his freshman year and six games in 2018. He made no appearances in 2019, partially due to injury.

It is possible that Robertson could transfer schools, or finish his degree in the summer and be done with football.

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