SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Senior wide receiver Jordan Faison has been named a nominee for the 2026 Burlsworth Trophy, which honors the top player in college football who began his career as a walk-on player. The Weston, Florida product was a semifinalist last season and has been named a nominee each of the last three seasons.
Faison leads the team this season with 38 receptions, 497 receiving yards and four touchdowns. He also serves as Notre Dame’s primary punt returner, posting ten punt returns for 137 yards, including a career-long of 37 in the win over Stanford.
In the game against North Carolina, Faison set career-highs of eight receptions for 132 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Faison emerged in 2025 as a reliable target for quarterback CJ Carr, leading the team with 49 catches for 640 yards and four touchdowns. He had 13 more receptions than the next closest Irish player.
In 2024 as a sophomore, after winning the 2024 NCAA Lacrosse National Championship, Faison made a statement in Notre Dame’s run to a National Championship appearance and wins in the Sugar and Orange Bowl. He played in 13 games and was the leading receiver in four games. He posted 30 receptions for 356 yards and a touchdown. In the CFP First Round win, he collected 132 all-purpose yards and was the team’s offensive and special teams player of the game.
Faison joined the Notre Dame football team during 2023 preseason camp as a walk-on player, planning to compete for a roster spot with the team and, as one of the top prep lacrosse players in the nation, join the defending national champion Notre Dame lacrosse team as a scholarship player in the spring of 2024.
Faison made his collegiate athletics debut in 2023 at No. 25 Louisville, catching two passes for 48 yards – which included a 36-yard touchdown grab. Faison’s debut was just the beginning. He would end the season with 19 catches for 322 yards and four touchdowns, capping the year by earning Sun Bowl MVP honors with five catches for 115 yards and a touchdown.
The Irish are back at Notre Dame Stadium Saturday night for a 7:30 p.m. ET matchup against No. 1 Miami on NBC.