After starring as a dual-threat quarterback at Charlottesville’s Monticello High School, Notre Dame senior wide receiver Malachi Fields laid his roots down at home and committed to compete for the Virginia Cavaliers. Switching from throwing passes to catching them once he arrived at Charlottesville’s university, Fields made an immediate impact for the high-powered Hoos’ attack.
He reeled in 11 receptions for 172 yards as a freshman, before lingering injuries caused him to miss the final game of that campaign and nearly the entirety of his sophomore season. Fields would thrive following those setbacks, staying loyal to his hometown amidst a coaching change to become Virginia’s primary pass-catching threat in his junior season. Across his final two years for a rebuilding and retooling Cavaliers program, the 6-foot-4 hometown hero made 113 catches for over 1,600 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Following his graduation, Fields retained one year of eligibility due to his medical redshirt back in 2022. Staying home to finish what he had started in Charlottesville was a viable option, but Fields had yet to compete in a bowl game or any truly meaningful contest, across his four years at Virginia. He eventually opted to enter the transfer portal on Dec. 17, 2024.
Despite its dominant 13-game winning streak and impressive run to the College Football Playoff National Championship a year ago, Notre Dame’s receiving corps was a glaring weakness. With star junior running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price both slated to return, as well as an open quarterback competition looming, Marcus Freeman knew his team needed weapons to truly open up the attack. Notre Dame wide receivers coach Mike Brown, a fellow Monticello High alum, knew exactly who his first call would be to.
Less than a week later, with Notre Dame fresh off a dominant win over Indiana in the CFP First Round, Fields was committed to the Irish and on his way to South Bend. After Notre Dame fell to Ohio State in that championship game, Fields got to work building rapport with his potential new signal callers, throwing his prior achievements out the window as he aimed to emerge as a consistent, reliable option.
“You keep that confidence with what you accomplished, but you go to work to get the timing down, the chemistry down, and just trust that he’s going to trust me, and then you go out there and make the plays on Saturdays,” he said of his relationship with freshman quarterback CJ Carr.
Carr has impressed the masses with his play thus far throughout his rookie campaign, but Freeman and company have provided all the necessary components for a young quarterback to succeed. Notre Dame’s defense is rolling, the two-headed monster in the backfield seems unstoppable and most importantly, Fields has wielded his experience to become the dependable go-to guy. The connection between Carr and Fields is easily recognizable, yet has become increasingly difficult for defenses to stop.
Freeman bluntly assessed the pair’s partnership, saying, “The execution is what matters. The execution was great, and I’m glad they were connecting.”
In Saturday’s offensive explosion against a usually sound Navy defense, Fields hauled in four passes for 97 yards. His vertical speed and sure hands have made him Carr’s favorite deep-ball target, and this week was no different as Fields hauled in a 52-yard bomb early to break the top off the Midshipmen’s cover-zero defense.
“After the second drive of the game, we saw their man on the tight end kind of lift above [senior wide receiver] Will Pauling to take him away a lot, so that opened up the boundary, and you know [Fields] is hard to stop,” Carr said. He continued, “I gave him a chance on a lot of balls, and he came down with them, and we’re going to keep doing that.”
Fields, whose big frame and impressive catch radius make him a matchup nightmare when singled up, relished the opportunity to battle Navy’s secondary.
He said that taking shots was a focal point throughout the week of preparation, saying, “We definitely came in expecting that we’d be able to get open and have some deep shots. That was in the game plan.”
While Fields is certainly the primary target for Notre Dame’s developing quarterback, the entirety of the wide receiver room has made an impact across the Irish’s seven-game winning streak. The Irish hauled in 16 passes against the Mids, spread across eight different receivers. Eight different weapons have all reached the end zone through the air this year, with no receiver scoring more than five times. After Notre Dame’s passing attack was fairly one-dimensional a year ago, Carr now has a plethora of choices at his disposal.
Fields, the leader of the unit, has loved to see the growth of the pass-catchers, ranging from freshmen to graduate students, and true receivers to tight ends and running backs.
“It’s cool to see everybody eat. We see it all week throughout practice, all year, really. Just all these different guys who come in at any moment and make plays,” he said.
He was also complimentary of Carr, signaling how the desire to play for an elite quarterback allowed him to leave home for Notre Dame.
“He’s seeing everything so well. He’s taking the challenges, never flinching, never hesitating. He’s out there having fun, just playing ball,” Fields said. “The pride he takes in getting it right. If we miss it in practice, we’re staying after and repping it until we get it right,” he continued.
For Malachi Fields, leaving the University of Virginia and his hometown of Charlottesville wasn’t an easy decision. His roots are at Monticello, but another Monticello receiver sold him on a dream, and now the Irish are fighting for a national championship. After its narrow air attack cost Notre Dame a year ago, the Blue and Gold have opened up the offense and are cruising straight ahead for another appearance in the College Football Playoff. Without Malachi Fields taking a risk and leaving home, none of that would have been possible.
