SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Will Pauling might believe in Notre Dame wide receivers coach Mike Brown more than anyone not related to him.
Pauling, a graduate student preparing for his final season of college football, has now joined three college football programs to be coached by Brown. Pauling, a three-star recruit out of Homewood-Flossmoor (Ill.) High, signed with Cincinnati in its 2021 recruiting class. Then when Brown followed head coach Luke Fickell from Cincinnati to Wisconsin after the 2022 season, Pauling did the same. After two seasons at Wisconsin, Pauling then completed a graduate transfer to Notre Dame this past winter to reunite with Brown.
“He has a proven track record of developing receivers,” Pauling said Saturday after Notre Dame’s third spring football practice. “He’s someone I’ve seen firsthand develop receivers from this level to the next level, and that’s something that’s really important to me. Going into my last year of eligibility, I wanna put my best foot forward and be at the most of my potential I can in the NFL.”
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Pauling is so close to Brown that he considers Brown as someone worthy of a wedding invite. Pauling isn’t engaged to be married, but that’s the best way Pauling could describe the importance of his relationship with Brown.
The 5-foot-10, 192-pound Pauling didn’t make much of an impact in his first two seasons with Brown at Cincinnati. Pauling caught one pass for six yards in his freshman season while redshirting. He then caught 12 passes for 122 yards in nine games for the Bearcats as a redshirt freshman.
Pauling’s breakout season came in 2023, his first at Wisconsin. Pauling started all 13 games as Wisconsin’s slot receiver and led the Badgers in receptions (74), receiving yards (837) and receiving touchdowns (6). After Brown left for Notre Dame prior to last season, Pauling’s production dropped to 42 catches for 407 yards and three touchdowns.
Pauling didn’t know he’d end up at Notre Dame upon entering the transfer portal in December, but it quickly came together. He also reunited with ND offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock (2021 at Cincinnati) and quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli (2021-22 at Cincinnati).
“Obviously, it’s a super tough decision to have one more year of eligibility and get into the transfer portal, not really knowing what you’re getting yourself into,” Pauling said. “But after entering the portal and Coach Brown reaching out to me, it was almost a no-brainer. Because obviously you know Coach Brown and you know what he’s able to do, not only developing receivers but developing me as a man. Coach Brown is someone I look up to.”
Pauling and the rest of Notre Dame mid-year newcomers were able to attend the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, in which the Irish lost to Ohio State, 34-23, in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Jan. 20. Those players weren’t allowed on the sideline, but they rode the emotions from the crowd.
That provided Pauling a glimpse of what’s possible at Notre Dame. He’s learned much more about head coach Marcus Freeman’s team in the months since arriving on campus.
“I think the thing that stands out to me is everybody on this team is very unselfish,” Pauling said. “I think if you’re a selfish person, you’re gonna stand out like a sore thumb here. Coach Freeman always talks about team glory and putting the team before yourself. I think that’s something that you don’t see everywhere. Obviously, I’ve been three different places now, you don’t see it everywhere, and I think that’s what really stood out to me in that short period of time.”
Pauling’s start at Notre Dame came with the discovery that he needed surgery on the fifth metatarsal in his right foot. Notre Dame took care of that in January, which put him on a timeline to participate in spring football in a limited form.
“I already feel a lot better,” Pauling said. “I don’t know if you guys have been able to see individuals, but I’ve been running around. I feel perfectly — I’m almost back to normal. So, it’s not holding back at all, too much.”
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Pauling missed the last two games of Wisconsin’s 2024 season with an injury. He played through multiple issues throughout the season, which could explain his dip in production. Pauling didn’t want to solely blame injuries for his numbers. He put himself on the field to continue leading his teammates.
“Football is a tough sport. No matter what position you play, you’re gonna get banged up,” Pauling said. “I think what was really important for me was being voted captain on my team last year. I had to come in and be the same person on my team every year, no matter if I was hurt, no matter if I was feeling good. I came in and I led the guys in that room every single day.
“What I learned from it is you’re going to go through things in life, and it’s important to have your foundation on the right things. And my things are Jesus Christ, and I think having my faith in Him and trusting Him for my plan allowed me to stay steadfast the whole season.”
Pauling will need to rediscover more consistency in 2025. He averaged one drop per game last season. For comparison, wide receiver Beaux Collins led the Irish in drops last year, per Pro Football Focus, with seven drops in 16 games.
Pauling came to Notre Dame with a willingness to be plugged in wherever he’s needed most. Though slot receiver is his natural position, he could be asked to play outside for the Irish at times. That may depend on how the Irish use juniors-to-be Jordan Faison and Jaden Greathouse.
Pauling wants to find roles on special teams whether he’s covering punts and kickoffs or he’s asked to return them. He wasn’t a returner at Wisconsin or Cincinnati, but Pauling knows anything he can put on film in his final college season could create NFL opportunities in the future.
Notre Dame’s wide receiver room doesn’t have any scholarship players above the junior class. So there’s room for leadership even from a newcomer like Pauling. Maybe he can get his new teammates to believe in him the way he believes in Brown.
“Being a transfer for a second time now, I think it’s important to assert yourself early, whether that’s just in the locker room, joking around with the guys or actually kind of stepping on toes, looking to be a leader,” Pauling said. “That’s what I’ve been trying to navigate.
“Obviously, we have a lot of great leaders in the room already with Jordan Faison and Jaden Greathouse. All of those guys have been great leaders and kind of helped me navigate the room, but I think it’s definitely also something that stood out for me to come here, is the opportunity to lead the room and be that older guy.”
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