Jordan Faison, the guy who once saw football as an afterthought, is now absolutely lighting up the scoreboard for the third-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish. This dude came to South Bend as one of the nation’s top lacrosse recruits, with football just a side gig from his prep Wing-T days. Now? The roles are completely flipped, and Faison is leading a national championship contender’s offense with 25 catches, 371 receiving yards, and four touchdown receptions this season, all after giving up lacrosse to make football his main priority.
From Lacrosse Champ to Gridiron Star
Can you believe this journey? Faison was content just walking on to the football team, even after helping Notre Dame win the 2024 lacrosse national championship as a freshman. He had to learn to play in a more conventional offense while juggling both sports. But then, last spring, everything changed. He decided to make football his sole priority, and the results speak for themselves. Faison said he “felt better prepared” for the season after giving his body a break, and that difference has been massive. “Going through the spring and then ultimately fall camp,” he said, “I can kind of tell there was a difference in the little break I gave my body, and then ultimately now.” The Irish, currently 5-0 and averaging a ridiculous 41.2 points per game, definitely noticed that difference. This team has rattled off 15 straight wins, every single one by 10 points or more. Faison himself is feeling “great,” crediting the support and training staff, plus everyone taking care of their own bodies. He even hauled in a career-high eight passes for 132 yards in the rain at North Carolina. Seriously, how far has this 5-foot-11, fourth-year receiver come? He admitted, “I didn’t really know much about receivers my early [college] years. Seeing how far I’ve come is definitely huge. From little things, from footwork and techniques to understanding defenses, understanding offense, looking back and seeing how far I’ve come is pretty cool.” Yeah, “pretty cool” is an understatement, my friend.
Coach Freeman on Faison’s Explosive Impact
So, what makes Faison, who just walked away from one championship sport, so special on the football field? Head Coach Marcus Freeman has the answer, and it’s all about speed and precision. Freeman highlighted Faison’s “speed in which he runs his routes, the precision of when he makes his cuts, the timing with the quarterback getting him the ball.” This isn’t just a guy who can run fast; he can “attack you in many different ways through quickness or overall just straight-line speed.” That lethal combo is how he keeps getting open, and it’s built massive confidence with quarterback C.J. Carr. Notre Dame absolutely *needed* Faison to step up big time this season after losing their top two running backs, Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, in the first round of April’s NFL draft. His commitment to football has forged a connection with Carr that’s next level. Faison himself put it perfectly, saying, “There’s not a time I can remember that we were not on the same page.” Even with defenses “throwing a bunch of different looks at us, trying to confuse us,” that chemistry is holding strong.
Next up, Faison and the Irish face another longtime rival, Stanford, who sits at 2-3. You know they’ll be trying to shut down that high-flying offense, but with Faison playing like this, good luck. This dude is on a mission, and it’s making Notre Dame football appointment viewing.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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