When you revisit the 2025 wide receiver class for Notre Dame, it was a cycle that was filled with countless missteps. From passing on players like Cooper Perry and Daylan McCutcheon to not reading the room well enough with Derek Meadows, it was a frustrating few months to watch. Chansi Stuckey put the board in a bad position, but wide receivers coach Mike Brown certainly didn’t help anything.

The Fighting Irish ended with a three-man class of Elijah Burress, Jerome Bettis Jr., and Antavious Richardson. It could have been worse, I guess but that type of class has now put a lot of pressure on Coach Brown to strike gold in 2026. The early signs are quite positive so far.

Notre Dame got off to a good start when Boca Raton (Fla.) St. Andrew’s School standout Dylan Faison opted for the Irish. That was obviously a pretty easy victory considering who Faison’s brother is, but Dylan is certainly a talented player nonetheless. Now Notre Dame must close on two to three talented pass catchers, and the good news is, they are trending in a great direction with four

Connor Salmin – Potomac (Md.) The Bullis School

Originally a star at Woodgrove High School in Virginia, Salmin transferred to The Bullis School this offseason. When you think of the wide receiver position at Notre Dame the last couple of years, they have had a couple of good players, but they have seriously lacked big time speed. That’s exactly what Salmin brings to the table, having also run a personal best of 10.44 in the 100-meter dash as a sophomore. Salmin has already visited South Bend multiple times, and are the leaders for him along with Penn State and Clemson. The Irish are viewed as the leader of that group currently.

Kaydon Finley – Aledo (Texas) High School

Rated as the No. 78 overall player in the 2026 class according to the 247Sports Composite ranking, Finley is one of the most productive pass catchers in the entire country. Finley hauled in 81 receptions for 1,432 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior. The 6-0, 200-pound wideout might not be the most dynamic athlete in the class, but good luck finding many better technicians in the country.

Brayden Robinson – Red Oak (Texas) High School

Speaking of production, Robinson was spectacular as a junior. He managed to make 79 receptions for 1,119 yards and 15 touchdowns on offense. The 5-8, 160-pound athlete was also the team’s main punt and kick returner. Robinson is the type of player you get the football to in any way possible. He already has an official visit scheduled for Notre Dame on June 20-22.

Trent Mosley – Rancho Santa Margarita (Calif.) Catholic

If you think back to the 2024 recruiting class, Notre Dame liked current Stanford wide receiver Emmett Mosley a ton. With both his father and mother being former Fighting Irish athletes, the attraction was easy to see. Unfortunately, Mosley wasn’t overly interested in Notre Dame. Now the Irish staff has a chance to close on his younger brother, who is high on the Irish, Stanford, USC, and UCLA right now. Mosley brings a lot of speed to the tackle, exploding for 61 receptions, 908 yards, and eight touchdowns despite only playing in eight games.

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