Why Chicago area WR Zachary Washington is a name to know following Notre Dame Irish Invasion
Since a breakout sophomore season in which Zachary Washington yielded underclassmen first-team All-State honors, the 2026 wide receiver has had the attention of multiple power conference programs … Notre Dame included.
The 6-foot-2, 175-pounder from Naperville (Ill.) St. Francis was one of about 130 prospects who participated in Notre Dame’s Irish Invasion camp on June 2. The Fighting Irish coaching staff might have only sent out limited offers that day. But the 2026 three-star pass catcher can proudly say he’s on the program’s radar.
“I felt like I performed well today,” Washington said. “I felt like it was one of my best camps so far this camp season.”
Washington, the No. 65 wide receiver in the country per Rivals and No. 67 according to 247Sports, showcased his speed, topping out in the mid-4.5s in the 40-yard dash. Toledo offered him afterward, joining a recruitment that already featured offers from Indiana, Illinois, Miami, Minnesota, Missouri, Ole Miss and Wisconsin.
Along with his speed, Washington’s natural pass-catching ability is one of his most attractive traits. As a sophomore, he hauled in 44 passes for 777 yards and 12 touchdowns. That output should increase following his junior campaign after about two hours’ worth of guidance from Irish wide receivers coach Mike Brown.
“I like his coaching style a lot,” Washington said. “I like how he breaks it down. If you mess up, he’ll pull you aside and show you how to do it correctly. I like how he uses steps instead of yardage when running routes.”
As Washington discovered, focusing on the number of steps rather than counting hash marks makes a major difference in his play speed.
“I feel like steps are easier because you don’t have to think about it and look down at your feet to see where you are,” he said.
The quarterbacks on hand that day, which featured Notre Dame four-star commits Deuce Knight (2025) and Noah Grubbs (2026), also made his job easy. The throws from the other signal-callers did, too.
“The quarterbacks were really good,” he said. “Number 2, Deuce (Knight), and number 13, Noah Grubbs, I can see why they’re committed here. They did really well. … The other QBs here did really well. I got a couple of really good balls on a post route. It was a really nice ball.”
With a junior season filled with expectations upcoming, Washington’s offer sheet should increase. Programs like Michigan State, Purdue, Kansas, Louisville and Iowa have all reached out since coaches could begin contacting 2026 recruits permissibly on June 15.
He would surely love to add offers from those schools and especially two others.
“I really wanted Notre Dame today,” he said. “I also really want Tennessee.”
The post Why Chicago area WR Zachary Washington is a name to know following Notre Dame Irish Invasion appeared first on On3.
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings