Transfer Portal: Notre Dame adds Virginia wide receiver Malachi Fields
Once again, Notre Dame dipped into the transfer portal for a wide receiver. This time, though, the Irish are not messing around.
Former Virginia wide receiver Malachi Fields has committed to the Irish, he announced Monday on Instagram. He is a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining, and he’s coming off back-to-back 800-yard seasons with the Cavaliers.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound wideout from Charlottesville, Va. entered the transfer portal this past Tuesday after reportedly considering the 2025 NFL Draft. He is On3’s No. 16 player and No. 4 wide receiver in the portal, and he will play the boundary receiver position for the Irish.
Fields caught 55 passes for 808 yards and 5 touchdowns this past season, following a 58-catch, 811-yard, 5-touchdown campaign in 2023. He hauled in 4 receptions for 81 yards in Virginia’s Nov. 16 loss to Notre Dame, which was the second-most-productive day any wide receiver had against the 2024 Irish secondary (USC’s Makai Lemon).
Fields also posted 100-yard games against Louisville, Wake Forest and Richmond this past season. His 11-catch, 148-yard performance against the Demon Deacons propelled the Cavaliers to a 31-30 win.
“I think he got a little bit overshadowed last year because of Malik [Washington]’s production, but he still was one of the better guys in the ACC,” Virginia head coach Tony Elliott said after the Wake Forest game. “The challenges offseason was for him to go be [to] make his stake at the best in the league, and he’s played unbelievable the last two weeks, and made some huge plays.”
Top 10
- 1New
Bowl insurance
Historic policies for Hunter, Shedeur
- 2Hot
Nick Saban endorsed
Lane Kiffin suggests as commish
- 3
Diego Pavia
Vandy QB ruling forces change
- 4
Notre Dame takes shot
Announcer trolls Fighting Irish
- 5
Stephen A. Smith fires back
Beef with Kirk Herbstreit continues
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
For his efforts in 2024, which included the ninth-most receiving yards in the league, Fields was named third-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference. He was an All-ACC honorable mention in 2023, when he finished eighth. Fields caught 11 passes for 172 yards in his true freshman season (2021), but he missed most of his sophomore year (2022) with a broken metatarsal in his foot.
That injury gave Fields an extra year of eligibility, which he will use at Notre Dame.
The Irish will return one starter at wide receiver in sophomore Jaden Greathouse, who plays in the slot. They should also have talented rising juniors in Jordan Faison and KK Smith — both of whom dealt with injuries this year but are held in high regard by offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock — to the field.
However, Notre Dame had a gaping hole at the boundary wide receiver position that it needed filled in the transfer portal. Fields should slot in as a starter in South Bend the moment he steps on campus.
Fields is Notre Dame’s second transfer addition so far in the 2025 cycle, following former Alabama nickel back DeVonta Smith.
