Notre Dame football: 5 Fighting Irish players poised for breakout seasons in 2020

3. Jordan Johnson | WR | Freshman

In a year where Notre Dame will have to replace a lot of playmakers on offense, Jordan Johnson has an incredible chance to step up and be a breakout player in his freshman season for the Irish.

Johnson is one of the best wide receiver recruits Notre Dame has ever landed and the best one ever according to Rivals. While just a four-star recruit according to 247Sports, Rivals has him rated as a five-star. However, no matter what rating he is given, it is very clear that he is a very talented wide receiver.

A 6-foot-1, 182-pound receiver out of St. Louis, Missouri, Johnson has the size and athleticism to be a threat in the red zone for the Irish. Something they might be missing with the departure of Claypool.

Johnson proved to be a hard-worker in high school as well, with his head coach at DeSmet High School calling him “an extension of myself.” That worked towards a 14-0, state title season for Johnson in his senior year, and he was the center of it. If Johnson can bring that same sort of attitude to his time in South Bend, there is no telling what he can do.

There is still a lot left to develop with Johnson, as his speed isn’t world-beating, and he still needs to develop some of his other wide receiver skills to go with his athleticism. In a normal year, he might not see as much playing time, but with the depth at wide receiver depleted this year for the Irish, Johnson has a real shot at becoming a breakout player in his freshman season.