There is one Notre Dame playmaker that needs to continue ascending if the Irish want to make a playoff run
Everyone knows that the Notre Dame passing offense has had more than their fair share of struggles this season, especially early on in this season. There have been moments of inconsistencies for quarterback Riley Leonard, lack of wide receivers getting open, breakdowns up front, and some frustrating play calling sequencing. Everyone has had a hand […]
Everyone knows that the Notre Dame passing offense has had more than their fair share of struggles this season, especially early on in this season. There have been moments of inconsistencies for quarterback Riley Leonard, lack of wide receivers getting open, breakdowns up front, and some frustrating play calling sequencing. Everyone has had a hand in it.
Over the last few weeks, the passing attack has really been gaining its footing, and once again, everyone has had a hand in it. We have quietly started to see an ascension from sophomore pass catcher Jaden Greathouse recently, and that continued again during the team’s 52-3 victory over Florida State. Greathouse led the team with five receptions for 66 yards despite not playing in the fourth quarter.
Heading into the 2024 season, there was a lot of hype around Greathouse and many expected him to potentially be the top wide receiver on the team. Early on in the season, that almost looked like a lost cause. Most fans wondered what the issue was, seeing the Texas native haul in just nine receptions for 79 yards through four games.
We saw a jump happen against Louisville, showcasing the talent that everyone knows that Greathouse has. Then we saw a lot of positive signs against Georgia Tech, and an explosive play against Navy. Which leads us to this performance against Florida State, which is probably his best so far in the 2024 season.
Outside of raw statistics, we saw every part of Greathouse’s game that we were hoping for. There was tempo as a route runner, there was physicality after the catch, strong hands, and dependability throughout the contest. This looked like the alpha pass catcher many predicted in the preseason.
After the first few games of the season, it looked like former Clemson transfer Beaux Collins was going to be the top pass catcher on the team, and by a healthy margin. Greathouse has now made that an interesting conversation, which is important. Having both of them making substantial plays, on top of Jordan Faison having a slight breakout recently, should be huge down the stretch.
If Notre Dame is going to make a late season run, and more specifically when the college football playoffs begin, they will need to have Greathouse playing his best football. With the nature of Collins’ position, it tends to be a little bit more low volume. Greathouse has the upside to be a higher volume receiver, and a safety blanket of sorts for Leonard.
Continuing to get him more and more involved is huge for this Irish offense. It has the chance to take this unit over the top.
