Early struggles for Notre Dame have hidden that the Fighting Irish have found an offensive answer they’ve been seeking for years
The Notre Dame defensive struggles have overshadowed the fact that there is a lot of promise on the offense. That includes at boundary receiver.
A heavy running offense historically, Notre Dame fans have been yelling for more balance over the last several years on that side of the football. While the team results haven’t been up to expectations so far, the Fighting Irish fanbase has been excited to see the passing attack open up a bit behind the talented right arm of redshirt freshman quarterback CJ Carr. So far in two games, the 6-3, 210-pound passer has thrown for 514 yards and three touchdowns.
Some will turn their head and roll their eyes looking at those numbers, but when you consider the team has played their best two opponents to begin the year, the results have been very positive for Carr and the passing game. There is clearly a foundation to build off of for offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock.
Aside from big-time tools behind center, there has been one big passing game element that the Fighting Irish have lacked over the years, a big-bodied boundary receiver who can win in 1-on-1 situations consistently. Over the last few years, the wide receiver room for Notre Dame has been way too cookie cutter. There have seemingly been a million slot options, but never that physical presence on the outside.
The boundary receivers that the Irish have had in recent years, including Beaux Collins, Jayden Thomas, and Deion Colzie were frankly just not good enough. There had to be more impactful options to find, whether that be via the high school recruiting route or the transfer portal.
The emergence of Malachi Fields
While it has only been two games, it appears that the Irish have found their boundary difference maker in former Virginia transfer Malachi Fields. In those two contests, Fields has managed to haul in eight receptions for 125 yards, an average of 15.6 yards per reception. Fields managed to make a ton of plays against star cornerback Will Lee and the Texas A&M Aggies, which was a very positive thing to see.
When was the last time, as a Notre Dame fan, that you felt like a boundary receiver was undoubtedly going to win in a contested catch situation? Perhaps Chase Claypool? The last productive option was Kevin Austin back in 2021, and even he was far from a consistent winner in the air.
As the chemistry between Carr and Fields continues to improve, you can bet that the 6-4, 222-pound pass catcher is going to make even more big plays. He has flashed the ability to play through contact and make the acrobatic catch already. As Fields becomes more consistent and comfortable within the full scope of the offense, things promise to get even easier. You can also expect Coach Denbrock to feature him a bit more moving forward, allowing for a higher volume of chances.
Even with Chris Ash and the Notre Dame defensive issues, the offense is sure to make fans feel a bit better about the season moving forward. Carr will continue to grow, and the presence of Fields will also open things up more for others in the passing game. You can expect players like Jaden Greathouse, Jordan Faison, and tight end Eli Raridon to continue being the beneficiaries of more attention going to big No. 0.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish News
Notre Dame football has an easy decision to help fix their abysmal defense that is blatantly obvious even with early struggles
The Notre Dame defense needs to get a lot better under defensive coordinator Chris Ash. There is one clear answer that the Irish need to utilize.
