Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Jaden Greathouse has been solid for the Irish in 2024. But something changed once the clock turned to 2025, as he had a performance to remember in the College Football Playoff semifinals on Thursday night.
Jaden Greathouse’s Ankle-Breaking Play Leaves CFB Analyst in Awe
The Fighting Irish’s longest pass play of the season came in a pivotal moment. Down 24-17 to the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl, the Fighting Irish faced a 2nd-and-8 from their own 46-yard line with just under five minutes to go.
Scoring a touchdown was paramount. Penn State had scored 14 unanswered points to take the seven-point lead, clearly finding their rhythm with the run game.
Notre Dame lined up with two receivers on each side and a running back in the backfield. Quarterback Riley Leonard’s top pass catcher on the day was Greathouse, a sophomore who came into the game as the Fighting Irish’s third-leading receiver.
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Greathouse’s season stats coming into the game were modest: 29 catches for 359 receiving yards and one touchdown. His season high had been 66 receiving yards, which he recorded against Florida State in early November.
But today was Greathouse’s day.
He lined up in the slot to Leonard’s right. The Nittany Lions’ defense was in man coverage with a safety overtop. At the snap, Greathouse stutter-stepped forward, setting up his defender. After a quick shoulder shake, he got vertical, executing a slot fade — and left his defender stumbling, falling backward onto the turf.
Leonard saw it right away and lofted the football to a wide-open Greathouse. When he caught the ball, the safety was the only defender left. One quick shoulder-drop juke and Greathouse had put another defender on the ground without even touching him. Greathouse jogged in for the game-tying touchdown — a huge momentum shift in the game.
Former NFL quarterback and current college football analyst Robert Griffin III posted a hilarious analogy regarding the play.
Jaden Greathouse breaking ankles out there like it’s 2k. He got more moves than a Military family 🔥 @NDFootball
pic.twitter.com/RwRVF6BEXL— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) January 10, 2025
“Jaden Greathouse breaking ankles out there like it’s 2k. He got more moves than a military family.”
Greathouse finished the game with seven catches for 105 yards and a touchdown, his best game in college. The Fighting Irish needed it; without his game-changing play and efforts as a whole, it’s hard to see them winning the game without him.
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