A well-traveled receiver who became a captain at Notre Dame within months of arriving, then signed with San Francisco as an undrafted free agent.
Will Pauling's college path ran through Cincinnati, Wisconsin, and finally Notre Dame, where teammates voted him a captain just months after he transferred in. Undersized at 5-foot-10 but fast, he joined the 49ers as an undrafted rookie in 2026.
Path to the league
Pauling started at Cincinnati before transferring to Wisconsin, where he played under Luke Fickell, and finally landed at Notre Dame for his final college season. He wasn't invited to the 2026 NFL Combine, but a strong Notre Dame pro day, including a 4.37-second 40-yard dash and 42-inch vertical, helped his draft stock before he ultimately went unselected and signed with the 49ers.
Career highlights
Pauling's breakout came at Wisconsin in 2023, when he caught 74 passes for 837 yards and six touchdowns and earned third-team All-Big Ten honors, highlighted by an eight-catch, 143-yard bowl performance against LSU. He followed that with 42 catches for 407 yards at Wisconsin in 2024 before transferring to Notre Dame.
2025 season recap
In his lone season at Notre Dame, Pauling was voted a team captain and started six of 12 games, leading the Fighting Irish with six touchdown catches on 26 receptions for 381 yards. He went undrafted, signed with San Francisco, was later waived in final roster cuts, and spent the season on the 49ers' practice squad before re-signing on a futures deal.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Will Pauling
- ESPN: Will Pauling
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Wide Receiver
- Group
- offense
- College
- Notre Dame
- Hometown
- Chicago, IL, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
