Will Pauling

William “Will” Pauling, the youngest of three children, was born and raised in the Homewood-Flossmoor community (south of Chicago) by his parents (Gerald and Eugenia). He was a quarterback for the junior Vikings as a kid before moving to wide receiver for the Vikings at Homewood-Flossmoor High School (where his father played QB and graduated in 1985). As a junior, Will accounted for 1,184 all-purpose yards and 20 touchdowns, earning second-team all-area. A three-star recruit, he signed with former head coach Luke Fickell at Cincinnati, where he played for two years. After Fickell left for Wisconsin, Pauling joined the Badgers and led them in receiving in 2023. He transferred to Notre Dame (where he was reunited with wide receivers coach Mike Brown) for his final season and was voted a senior captain. A college slot receiver, Pauling has an undersized, short-armed frame but cut-up definition in his arms, shoulders and lowers (and he isn’t afraid to block). He has been banged up at times over his career, but school sources say he works overtime taking care of his body and putting in the work. He entered the 2025 season with major questions about his ball skills, but that wasn’t an issue on his senior tape — Irish coaches say he was the quarterback’s most reliable option. He can get hung up by early contact in the route, but plays with both speed and quickness to uncover. Overall, Pauling is the type of athletic competitor and leader NFL teams want to bring to the building, but he will need to establish himself on special teams in camp to stay there.