SOUTH BEND — Three weeks out from opening the 2026 season against Wisconsin in Green Bay, Notre Dame football still doesn’t have full access to Quincy Porter’s skills at boundary receiver.
Now seven-plus months removed from early January surgery to repair his left patellar tendon, the lightly used Ohio State transfer stretched alongside Irish quarterbacks before practice on Sunday, Aug. 16, but wasn’t part of individual drills during the four-period open portion.
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Porter wore a compression sleeve on his left leg and seemed to move well in drills during the open practice that kicked off fall camp on Aug. 6. However, he worked on the side on Aug. 12 in the previous session that was open to the media.
“We’ll take it day by day,” wide receivers coach Mike Brown said. “He’s doing a great job with the things we’re asking. He’s moving around, he’s looking good. We’ll continue to take it one day at a time.”
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In a media briefing on March 18, Notre Dame’s head athletic trainer, Rob Hunt, projected Porter to miss all of spring practice (which he did) but to enjoy a “full summer of activity” before receiving full clearance in time for fall camp.
It’s unknown whether Porter, a former Bergen Catholic High School standout from New Jersey, experienced a setback or whether the Irish training staff is treating his return with an abundance of caution.
Asked after Sunday’s practice if Porter’s return was taking longer than Notre Dame originally hoped, Brown shrugged.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I didn’t really know what to expect, so we’ll see.”
As a freshman with the Buckeyes, Porter played only 81 snaps all season, 24 of them on special teams. Porter had one catch against Minnesota in his 16 plays, two more receptions for 30 yards at Wisconsin (20 plays) and his fourth and final catch of the year against UCLA (9 plays).
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With Porter still limited, third-year receiver Micah Gilbert has had more chances to nail down the starting spot at the boundary.
Brown said Gilbert has been “a lot more consistent than in previous years” after going through struggles with dropped passes and freak hand/finger injuries.
“That’s a testament to his hard work,” Brown said. “We challenged him. We challenged him really hard going into the spring, and he’s risen to the occasion. I’m pleased with where he’s at and where he’s going.”
Second-year man Jerome Bettis Jr. and freshman Devin Fitzgerald, both sons of Pro Football Hall of Famers, have been seeing time at the boundary with the second team in practice.
“Bettis has done a good job with all the things we’ve asked him to do,” Brown said. “He’s gotten his opportunities. I think he’s taken advantage of them. It’s a really competitive position.”
A bulked-up Jaden Greathouse could be another option to play at boundary alongside natural slot Mylan Graham, another Ohio State transfer addition, and slot/field receiver Jordan Faison, Notre Dame’s leader in receptions and receiving yards last fall.
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame football remains cautious with transfer WR Quincy Porter's injury