Position Breakdown: Could Notre Dame See its Biggest Breakout at Tight End?
- Noah Wehby
- 5 hours ago
- 5 min read
Photo via Cooper Flanagan/IG (@cooperflanagan_)
As is almost tradition, Notre Dame will walk into the 2026 season with a strong tight end room that could become elite, with the exciting talent already realized and some yet to reveal itself.
Last season, the tight end position at Notre Dame was headlined by Eli Raridon, who was selected in the third round by the New England Patriots. While almost miraculously he did not score a touchdown, he became a favorite for CJ Carr in the pass game as a consistent chain-mover. Now, the position for TE1 is up for grabs, as this deep room offers a lot of strong options with versatile skill sets. While the room does have experience, it also contains young, exciting talent that could take the forefront this season.
Starters
Cooper Flanagan
Cooper Flanagan will finally get his chance to see the field again after missing all but one game in 2025 due to an achilles injury. Before then, Flanagan was able to contribute in 2023 and 2024 mainly as a blocker. Now, he will get his chance to become the "guy" at the position in 2026.
While Flanagan still has time to prove his chops in the passing game, his biggest strength is his physical blocking ability. For a run-first team in the past, this quality made him a valuable member of the offense. This season, that blocking will once again become an important part of the run game, as Notre Dame transitions from the Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price backfield. The main question for Flanagan will be if he impacts the passing game in a major way. Throughout two seasons of play, he has only caught five passes, with three of them being touchdowns. Even if Flanagan does not turn into a major player in the pass game, he will still be a leader within the group that establishes a physical tone to the group, leaving the pass catching to some of the group's more explosive athletes.
Contributors
Ty Washington
Ty Washington enters his second season with the Irish after transferring from Arkansas last off-season. In 2025, Washington was mainly used as a run-blocker due to the Flanagan injury. While Washington played well in his role, he was sometimes inconsistent. When he was at his best against Arkansas, he proved why he could earn first-team reps this season, as he also offers verticality downfield.
In 2026, it is likely that Notre Dame will play both Washington and Flanagan in their 12 and 13 personnel lineups. With two tight ends on the field, the two offer extra blockers in the run game and solid pass-catchers in the passing game. For Washington in the passing game, he will likely be the more favored option of the two. He does have impressive athleticism that should allow him to be a real option downfield. With his size, he could be a matchup problem for defenses if Notre Dame can get him in the right position to make a play.
James Flanigan
Flanigan will be another talented player who will be fighting for minutes in this very crowded tight end room. As a true freshman last season, Flanigan began to surge late in the season, playing his best football late in the year. As just a freshman, Flanigan was surprisingly strong in the run game, projecting to have an even bigger impact in 2026. While he has shown that he possesses strong hands in the pass game, he will need to continue working on his route-running to create the separation needed to become a reliable player.
Looking at this season, the return of Flanagan will make it hard for Flanigan to get real minutes. While they are both strong blockers, Flanagan's experience makes it likely he will get the nod. Flanigan may be a better option than Flanagan in the pass game, but he may not be as good as a player like Ian Premer, who we'll look at later. This puts Flanigan in a tough spot. He is good at a lot but probably not the best at anything. Flanigan is young, so he has time to prove that he is the best at a certain part of the game, but the versatility he has now will make him hard to keep off the field.
Ian Premer
The tight end room at Notre Dame is a crowded one that could make it hard for even five-star freshman Ian Premer to see the field. With that being said, he has a talent that may be undeniable. If he does prove to the coaches that he is ready, he could quickly become an essential part of the Notre Dame offense as the season wears on.
Starting with his size, Premer is an astounding 6'6" and 245 lbs. With a body like that, Premer has the size to compete at a high level right away. At that size, Premer moves very well in and out of routes, showing off his elite athleticism that helped him earn the title of five-star. Premer also gives something that it appears no one else can in this group: a true receiving threat capable of sustaining an offense. He uses that big frame and athleticism to be a huge target for his QB and create mismatches for whoever is guarding him. If a defense elects to put a safety or cornerback on him, they are likely too small. If they put a linebacker on him, they are likely too slow or lack the coverage ability to stay with him. Premer could develop to become a real difference-maker on this offense if he is given the chance, but it will be difficult in a room as deep as this one.
Reserves
Even this deep in the depth chart, Notre Dame still has strong options at the position. To start, Jack Larsen has put together multiple strong off-seasons that could land him playing time, especially if they elect to redshirt Premer. Preston Fryzel is the other true freshman in the room who already has the athleticism and speed to make an impact but needs the time to add weight in order to become an efficient blocker at the college level.
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