After Notre Dame’s offensive struggles against BYU, one of the oddest details of the Fighting Irish's loss was that the team’s wide receiver rotation was nowhere near what the coaches had hinted at before the season started.
On Monday, Marcus Freeman seemed to see the questions about why the “rotation” was really just three receivers. He wanted the assembled media and the fan base to know that he’s not happy with what the team has done in that regard either.
“I’ve been outspoken about it with the staff,” Freeman said Monday ahead of Notre Dame’s matchup with unranked Navy (2-5) this weekend. “We have to find ways to get those guys in the game, but it’s also a challenge to them: How do you continue to be more consistent in practice so there’s no hesitation to put you in the game?”
The question in both the BYU and North Carolina games was whether the coaches didn’t trust receivers other than Micah Gilbert, Jordan Faison, or Jaden Greathouse, or whether the other receivers weren’t practicing or playing well enough to get into the game.
Marcus Freeman pushes Notre Dame football staff to expand wide receiver rotation
Chief among the big question marks on the wide receiver corps was Mylan Graham. He and Quincy Porter transferred from Ohio State to Notre Dame and were considered massive portal pickups meant to boost the wide receiver position.
What’s even more frustrating is that the Irish have handled the rotation perfectly fine, giving the “bench” more snaps in certain games. Thirteen different wideouts played at least one offensive snap in the Week 6 blowout of Stanford, including Graham for 29 snaps. But when the Golden Domers get challenged, position coach Mike Brown’s reserves get used more sparingly.
The same situation took place in Chapel Hill. Two-sport standout and former walk-on Matt Jeffery played nine offensive snaps in the October 3 win at North Carolina, but no other non-starter saw the field at receiver in Notre Dame’s 37-26 win.
“I have a lot of confidence in the entire wide receivers’ room,” Freeman said later in the press conference. “We have to be more intentional about getting (them) in the game, but it works twofold. They have to continue to be consistent in practice so there’s no hesitation.”
Freeman also said there was a plan to work more receivers into the rotation. However, when the planned time to bring in some reserves came, Notre Dame was already trailing 21-10, and the Irish coaches stuck with the starters.
The big question is whether abandoning the plan and having the starters get nearly 80 snaps at high altitude is one reason the Irish offense faded down the stretch.
CJ Carr and company marched down the field on the final drive, but it was a bit of a slog. Th lack of separation between the receivers and the defensive backs was noticeable, and only some of it was because BYU knew Notre Dame would be throwing.
It’s a safe bet the Notre Dame reserves will get plenty of playing time against Navy. But what happens in two weeks against Miami? If the Fighting Irish stick to their pattern, non-starters account for 14.5% of the team’s receptions, 15.6% of its receiving yardage, and just 5.9% of its 17 scoring grabs. That has to get better. If it doesn’t, the coaching staff will have to address it this offseason, as analysts and recruits will second-guess it.
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