The Notre Dame football team has had a very up-and-down start to the first half of the football season, as they stand 4-2 at the halfway point.
Nonetheless, they have had a few standout players so far this season on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Some of these players are more surprising than others. Below are three surprises at the start of the 2025 football season.
Jordan Faison emerges as WR1 for Notre Dame
Notre Dame had a very solid offseason in the wide receiver room.
Many believed that Jaden Greathouse would be the wide receiver number one after an emergence as a dynamic playmaker in the college football playoff in 2024.
Notre Dame then also added stud receiver Malachi Fields from Virginia ahead of the season. However, it has been Jordan Faison who has emerged as the top Notre Dame receiver through 6 games so far.
Faison leads the team with 29 catches for 376 yards. He is also tied for the team lead with two receiving touchdowns.
Faison has been a crucial component of the receiving corps thus far and hopes to continue building on some early-season success moving forward.
Boubacore Traore is a legit NFL Player
Traore has been an auspicious development this year. Early on, Notre Dame was desperately seeking a pass rush as they struggled to get after the quarterback. Since game three, Traore has emerged as an early-round NFL draft pick.
Traore has amassed 4.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and 20 total tackles off the edge. All three are tops among the team along the defensive line.
Traore needs to continue dominating opponents the rest of the year if ND wants to compete for a college football playoff spot.
Tae Johnson might be the next great Notre Dame football safety
Notre Dame made a significant change at safety early on this year.
After a slow start in coverage for transfer safety Jalen Stroman, safety Tae Johnson took over as the starter. Since then, he has been a solid replacement, totaling 26 tackles and an interception. He led the team in tackles with seven against NC State.
If Notre Dame's defense is to continue its improvement the rest of the way, Johnson needs to continue to shine for the Irish defense.