Almost midway through fall camp for Notre Dame football in 2024, one player whose stock is on the rise already is FIU transfer Kris Mitchell. After lacking a genuine deep threat at the field receiver position for years, the Irish might finally have one when they open the season in College Station in a few weeks.
Kris Mitchell exploded last year for Florida International with 64 receptions and 1,118 yards with seven touchdowns. Notre Dame would have killed for that kind of production from an outside receiver in 2023. Or any receiver, for that matter. The Irish haven’t seen a receiver post those kinds of numbers since Chase Claypool was drafted in the 2020 NFL Draft. However, how well Mitchell would transition to greater competition was the big question mark when Notre Dame landed him from the transfer portal. So far, the answer to that question has been exceptionally well.
Here’s a glimpse at the Riley Leonard and Kris Mitchell connection from early in camp.
This comes on the heels of Mitchell showcasing his big-play ability in the Blue and Gold game this spring. Mitchell only caught two passes that day, one of which was a 62-yard touchdown on a beautiful double move.
On Tuesday, Notre Dame posted a clip of Mitchell making another player in practice – this time on All-American cornerback Benjamin Morrison.
Ever since Mitchell committed to Notre Dame, the hope has been that he could be the “Will Fuller” of the Irish offense—a role that Notre Dame hasn’t really had anyone who could fill since Fuller terrorized opposing defenses almost a decade ago. While the jury is still out on whether or not Mitchell can reach those levels, all signs point to him being at least the closest to that level the Irish have had since.
If Mitchell can carry over his off-season momentum into the season, it would be a boon for an Irish offense that desperately needs more production from its passing attack. Notre Dame has struggled to pass the ball for the last few years, impacting their ability to lure top talent to the receiver position on the recruiting trail. Notre Dame missed all four of its top targets in July and has been left scrambling to reset their recruiting board. While some of the problems were strategic, the Irish’s lack of production from the position certainly did not help. Should Mitchell have a monster season for the Irish, it would be a big selling point for Mike Denbrock and Marcus Freeman on the recruiting trail.
Positive buzz all around the receiver room
Mitchell isn’t the only receiver making noise for Notre Dame in camp, either. There seems to be a quiet confidence growing that the remade receiver room at Notre Dame could finally give the Irish passing attack the weapons it has been missing – the kind of weapons Notre Dame sorely lacked in losses to Ohio State and Clemson a year ago.
While Mitchell has been making waves outside, Jaden Greathouse has reportedly been continuing his ascension on the inside, and Clemson transfer Beaux Collins has been the physical specimen he was advertised to be. The Irish have also been working Jordan Faison on the outside in camp to give themselves more options outside since they know Faison can be a weapon in the slot.
Making plays in practice in August is a lot different than making plays in College Station against a stout defense, so it’s still too early to know if the growing buzz is just typical preseason hype or if there is something there. The good news is that there haven’t been any reports out of camp yet suggesting that the room is still a work in progress or that players need more time to develop like we’ve heard in years past.
