Wisconsin may not suffer the loss of Will Pauling as much as many initially thought. The wide receiver room appears to be more loaded with young and explosive talent than originally anticipated. Fall camp has turned up some impressive plays from the wide receiver room. Yet, Pauling's new coach at Notre Dame, Marcus Freeman, continues to be thrilled with his new weapon.
Freeman has been gushing about what he sees from Pauling in training camps. In fact, Freeman wishes all of his players practiced like Pauling does. "He practices at a level where some people need to see the way Will Pauling practices...He's a dawg!"
Will Pauling continues to impress his new Notre Dame team and coaches
Right now, it appears Pauling will end up being a slot receiver for the Irish. Many think he will appear as the third-string wide receiver. However, Freeman plans to use him in a couple of areas on the team. In that same interview, Freeman said, "I am excited to see what he does this season. He is going to help us in the wideout room, but also on special teams.”
This is a fascinating comment from Freeman as it seems that he's indicating that Pauling could be back to return punts or kickoffs, which would be something he hasn't done a ton in his career. However, his explosive ability and his sure-handedness may have Freeman wanting to put him back there receiving those possessions.
The other nugget that Freeman mentioned that has to do with the Badgers is that Freeman mentioned they went after him when he entered the portal because of his previous relationship with Mike Brown. And while that's not overly surprising, as they both left Wisconsin, and it's not uncommon for coaches to help bring coaches with them. It confirms that exact theory. Pauling left to continue to play for Brown.
It's hard to see the veteran leader leave in Pauling, but Wisconsin does truly appear to be in good hands in the wide receiver room for 2025 and beyond.