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.