Notre Dame Freshman Receivers Are Already Making An Impact
Freshman wide receivers have had a hard time seeing the field in recent years at Notre Dame. Whether it was because they didn’t know enough of the offense or maybe because they were not physically ready for the move from high school to FBS football, freshman receivers rarely saw the light of day under Notre Dame’s previous coaching regime.
Under second-year head coach Marcus Freeman and first-year offensive coordinator Gerad Parker, that philosophy went the way of the stone age in Notre Dame’s season opening 42-3 trouncing of Navy.
Freshmen Jaden Greathouse and Rico Flores both played as part of the Irish wide receiver rotation, and Greathouse made a big early splash. Greathouse turned his first career catch into a 35-yard touchdown pass, and his final of three catches went for a 20-yard score.
"To see Jaden Greathouse go out there and score two touchdowns today, it’s a reflection of hopefully what (receivers) Coach (Chansi) Stuckey has done with that room, because four wide outs caught touchdowns today,” Freeman said after the win. "Greathouse had two of them. That room is continuing to improve. The protection was good. So, I think that’s going to be a great momentum builder as we get ready for next week, for Jaden.”
A true freshman from Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, Greathouse has not looked his age since he stepped foot on campus last January as a spring early enrollee. He has been on the same page with veteran quarterback Sam Hartman almost since day one.
"It starts with everybody in this organization,” Greathouse said after making his debut. "The coaches, the players having trust in me being able to go out there (and) do what we’re supposed to do. We all have a job that we have to do and so you have to step up to the plate. I’m just so thankful that my teammates and coaches have that trust in me.”
Greathouse finished with three receptions for a team-high 68 yards. His first touchdown came on a well executed post route down the middle of the field.
"It’s just been something that we’ve been working all week, all through camp,” Greathouse said of the play. "The coaches really did a good job of game plan and seeing what coverages that they were going to do and what kind of plays that we have that’s going to work against them. We called it up and I knew exactly what I needed to do and Sam put it on me.”
It’s not like Greathouse didn’t already show flashes of his ability. The 6-1 receiver connected with Hartman for 11 receptions and 118 yards in the Blue-Gold spring game back in April. Spring games are one thing, the regular season is another, although Greathouse tried to downplay his first game success.
"It really just felt like another day,” Greathouse responded when asked about the chance to back up his spring with a real game performance. "We have a great defense that we go against every practice, so really having that high level of competition every single day really prepares you for teams that you’re going to play. I’ve never gone up against a defense like this. So, just being able to go against each other every single day and really push each other to be our best it obviously pays off in a game.”
Flores also made his first career catch, hauling in a screen for two yards in the first quarter. It will be the first of many for both rookies, who have certainly already set the bar high in just one game.
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