The Notre Dame Fighting Irish rolled to a 41-13 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers at Lambeau Field on Sunday, but the offensive performance left at least one lingering question for head coach Marcus Freeman and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock.

Quarterback CJ Carr finished 19-of-29 for 239 yards and 2 touchdowns after a sluggish first half, and the Irish run game found its footing after halftime. The second-half surge was encouraging. The lack of slot receiver production was not.

Between Ohio State transfer Mylan Graham and Jaden Greathouse, Notre Dame’s slot position managed just one reception for 6 yards (for Greathouse) in the season opener. For an offense that generated significant buzz around both players this offseason, that number simply is not going to cut it.

Carr found a rhythm, but not with the slot

Carr’s final stat line looked solid, but the path to get there was uneven.

At halftime, he had completed just 10-of-17 passes for roughly 100 yards and a touchdown with Notre Dame clinging to a 13-10 lead. The second half told a different story. Carr finished 9-of-12 on his final attempts, posting an 8.2-yard-per-attempt average on the day.

His two biggest targets were senior wide receiver Jordan Faison, who hauled in 4 receptions for 80 yards, and redshirt freshman running back Nolan James Jr., who added 4 catches for 67 yards and a touchdown. Outside of those two, production from the rest of the pass catchers was modest.

The deeper issue is one that has followed Carr throughout his time at Notre Dame. He has not always been the most consistent passer working to the middle of the field.

The coaching staff dialed up some deep digs and over routes from outside receivers during the contest, but there was no real chemistry or usage from the true interior wide receiver spot. For Carr to take the next step as a passer, he needs to threaten the middle of the field at a more consistent level.

Graham and Greathouse need more involvement

If you think back to the spring, everyone was singing praises of Graham after his arrival from Ohio State. Then when fall camp opened, a lot of the attention turned to Greathouse, who ascended to the de facto No. 1 slot receiver once again.

Heading into the Wisconsin game, the two were listed in an “or” situation at the position, meaning both players were considered potential starters in 3-wide receiver alignments.

The production did not match the billing.

Greathouse’s lone 6-yard reception was the only catch between the two. Graham did get targeted and actually hauled in one impressive reception during the game, but it was nullified by a penalty. From a pure talent perspective, Graham is one of the more explosive wide receivers on the Notre Dame roster, which is a big reason he was catching so much attention this offseason.

That duo on paper appears like a promising upside play in the slot for the Irish.

Greathouse has looked like a star at times for Notre Dame, though an injury last season stunted his assumed growth. Graham is incredibly talented. For this passing attack to reach its ceiling, especially with a tight end room that probably won’t be elite as pass catchers in 2026, the slot position with Graham and Greathouse needs to contribute far more than one reception in a football game.

A lighter schedule offers a chance to build confidence

Notre Dame has a stretch of lighter opponents ahead, and that window matters. Getting Graham and Greathouse involved against a team like Rice would go a long way toward building early confidence for both players. Once Quincy Porter returns from injury and mixes in with Micah Gilbert, the boundary position should improve as well.

Right now, if there is a wide receiver duo with the most upside to work with outside of the established Faison, it is probably in the slot with Greathouse and Graham.

Freeman, Denbrock, and Carr will need to find ways to feature them before the schedule gets into the meat of 2026. One catch from the slot position is a red flag worth monitoring, even in a 28-point win.