Malachi Fields Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of Rick Kimball/ISD)

School: Notre Dame

Class: Redshirt Senior

Position: WR

HT: 6’4

WT: 222 lbs

Background: Malachi Fields was a 3-star athlete out of Monticello High School in Charlottesville, Virginia in the class of 2021. Fields was an All-Jefferson District First Team selection. As a junior, Fields passed for 1,027 yards and 4 touchdowns while running for 700 yards and 12 scores. Fields committed to play for Virginia over Liberty, William & Mary, and Virginia Military Institute.

College: By his redshirt sophomore season in 2023, he was a mainstay in the Cavaliers’ offense. Fields recorded 58 receptions for 811 yards and 5 touchdowns. This was good enough to get him honorable mention All-ACC honors. In 2024, he only improved his numbers. He secured 55 catches for 808 yards and 5 touchdowns. He was a Third Team All-ACC selection. He took this production and headed to Notre Dame for his final collegiate season.

Strengths: Malachi Fields is a big-bodied boundary receiver who can fight for contested balls in the deep areas of the field. He does well to get the position advantage on those jump balls to secure the catch. With that size, he has the strength to simply rip the ball out of the air. He has a strong grip that makes the football seemingly stick to his hands like a suction cup. He combines this size and strength with impressive speed. He has the long strides and speed to stack corners and instantly create separation vertically. With the ball in his hands, he is surprisingly productive with the ball in his hands to get yards after the catch. Against zone coverage, Fields consistently finds soft spots to sink into and wait for the football.

Weaknesses: Despite his size, Fields is not a reliable blocker. He lets defenders get under his pads far too easily and gets dusted on outside zone runs. His route running is subpar at best. He does not cut sharply and he rounds off his comebacks and dig routes. He chops his feet leading into his hitch routes or comebacks when trying to come to a full stop and change direction.

Conclusion: Fields is an excellent boundary target who offers an advantageous frame in the deep areas while also producing with the ball in his hands. He is not the most technical route runner, but he wins in other ways.

Best Team Fits: CLE, SEA, PIT

Player Comparison: Tre Harris

Player Grade: Round 4 (68.6)