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Notre Dame will have a new starting tight end for the third straight season, and the top candidate to win that job going into fall camp is redshirt junior Cooper Flanagan. After being a key member of the tight end rotation during his first two seasons, Flanagan had a rough 2025 campaign due to injuries. Now healthy, the talented California native gets a chance to finally become "the guy" at tight end for the Fighting Irish.
Here is our season preview and profile for Flanagan:
Class/Eligibility: Senior / Junior
Height/Weight: 6-6, 250
Hometown/High School: Pleasant Hill, Calif./De La Salle
2025: 4 snaps (1 game)
2024: 262 snaps - 4 catches, 55 yards, 13.8 YPC, 2 TD
2023: 160 snaps - 1 catch, 19 yards, 19.0 YPC, 1 TD
CAREER: 426 snaps - 5 catches, 74 yards, 14.8 YPC, 3 TD
Flanagan injured his Achilles in Notre Dame's playoff win over Indiana in December of 2024. It was initially expected that Flanagan would return in 2025, but he played just four snaps all season as he struggled to recover from that injury.
The good news for Flanagan — and Notre Dame — is that he returned for the spring and looked healthy. In fact, Flanagan looked like he played all spring with some pent up frustration about missing the 2025 season. Flanagan was constantly getting into dust up with teammates after plays and played all spring with a lot of fire and intensity. In fall camp he'll look to continue that type of play. Flanagan is battling for the starting job, and he heads into fall camp in pole position. Staying healthy will be important for Flanagan, who also dealt with a couple of minor injuries in 2024. After that, fall camp will be about Flanagan continuing his strong performance in the run game. Even more important, Flanagan will need to get on the same page with quarterback CJ Carr in the pass game so that he can become more than just a blocking tight end.
Getting Flanagan back into the lineup is expected to give a boost to the run game. Flanagan was a strong blocker during his first two seasons with the Irish, during which he racked up 422 snaps. Flanagan got a lot of action in 12 and 13 personnel looks and he was a run game specialist, with 66.7-percent of his snaps (PFF) coming in the run game. Adding his size, physicality and attitude to the run game will be a welcome site. Flanagan was also a strong pass blocker in 2024, and the Irish ask the tight end to pass block as well, especially in 2025. Eli Raridon was asked to pass block 78 times last season (PFF), and I expect Flanagan to be asked to do the same. He was very effective in that area in the past and I expect that to also be a strength of his in 2026.
The next step for Flanagan is becoming more of a factor in the pass game. That will determine whether he's "the guy" at tight end or if he's just a rotational player that specializes in the run game. Flanagan has been targeted just eight times in his career so far, and while he's been effective in those limited targets, he'll need to show he's a legit weapon in the pass game. Flanagan is a quality athlete for his size, and we've seen him make plays down the field in his career. Think about his corner route for a big play against Texas A&M in 2024, a downfield touchdown as a freshman against Pitt or his RPO touchdown in the 2024 win over Purdue. Flanagan has to show he has the route running chops and the ball skills to make defenses respect the tight ends in the pass game.
Notre Dame has a history of losing tight ends and having another player step into the spotlight and handle business. Ultimately, that is exactly what expectations are for Flanagan in 2026. He'll have to battle his tail off, because there are talented young players behind him, but if Flanagan plays to his potential he'll be a factor for the Irish this season.
One in which he stays healthy, dominates in the run game and shows he's more than capable of making an impact in the pass game. Flanagan has all the talent needed to become the starter and continue the strong play we've seen from the position for the last three decades.
———————
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Here is our season preview and profile for Flanagan:
COOPER FLANAGAN PROFILE
Class/Eligibility: Senior / Junior
Height/Weight: 6-6, 250
Hometown/High School: Pleasant Hill, Calif./De La Salle
CAREER STATS
2025: 4 snaps (1 game)
2024: 262 snaps - 4 catches, 55 yards, 13.8 YPC, 2 TD
2023: 160 snaps - 1 catch, 19 yards, 19.0 YPC, 1 TD
CAREER: 426 snaps - 5 catches, 74 yards, 14.8 YPC, 3 TD
2025 SEASON IN REVIEW
Flanagan injured his Achilles in Notre Dame's playoff win over Indiana in December of 2024. It was initially expected that Flanagan would return in 2025, but he played just four snaps all season as he struggled to recover from that injury.
FALL CAMP PREVIEW
The good news for Flanagan — and Notre Dame — is that he returned for the spring and looked healthy. In fact, Flanagan looked like he played all spring with some pent up frustration about missing the 2025 season. Flanagan was constantly getting into dust up with teammates after plays and played all spring with a lot of fire and intensity. In fall camp he'll look to continue that type of play. Flanagan is battling for the starting job, and he heads into fall camp in pole position. Staying healthy will be important for Flanagan, who also dealt with a couple of minor injuries in 2024. After that, fall camp will be about Flanagan continuing his strong performance in the run game. Even more important, Flanagan will need to get on the same page with quarterback CJ Carr in the pass game so that he can become more than just a blocking tight end.
2026 EXPECTATIONS
Getting Flanagan back into the lineup is expected to give a boost to the run game. Flanagan was a strong blocker during his first two seasons with the Irish, during which he racked up 422 snaps. Flanagan got a lot of action in 12 and 13 personnel looks and he was a run game specialist, with 66.7-percent of his snaps (PFF) coming in the run game. Adding his size, physicality and attitude to the run game will be a welcome site. Flanagan was also a strong pass blocker in 2024, and the Irish ask the tight end to pass block as well, especially in 2025. Eli Raridon was asked to pass block 78 times last season (PFF), and I expect Flanagan to be asked to do the same. He was very effective in that area in the past and I expect that to also be a strength of his in 2026.
The next step for Flanagan is becoming more of a factor in the pass game. That will determine whether he's "the guy" at tight end or if he's just a rotational player that specializes in the run game. Flanagan has been targeted just eight times in his career so far, and while he's been effective in those limited targets, he'll need to show he's a legit weapon in the pass game. Flanagan is a quality athlete for his size, and we've seen him make plays down the field in his career. Think about his corner route for a big play against Texas A&M in 2024, a downfield touchdown as a freshman against Pitt or his RPO touchdown in the 2024 win over Purdue. Flanagan has to show he has the route running chops and the ball skills to make defenses respect the tight ends in the pass game.
Notre Dame has a history of losing tight ends and having another player step into the spotlight and handle business. Ultimately, that is exactly what expectations are for Flanagan in 2026. He'll have to battle his tail off, because there are talented young players behind him, but if Flanagan plays to his potential he'll be a factor for the Irish this season.
A GOOD SEASON FOR FLANAGAN WOULD BE ....
One in which he stays healthy, dominates in the run game and shows he's more than capable of making an impact in the pass game. Flanagan has all the talent needed to become the starter and continue the strong play we've seen from the position for the last three decades.
———————
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BECOME A MEMBER
Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time!
Join the Irish Breakdown community!
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown YouTube channel
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Follow me on Twitter: @CoachD178
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Continue reading...
