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SOUTH BEND — More than 40 pass targets were distributed among at least 14 different skill-position players for Notre Dame football in the Blue-Gold Game on Saturday, April 25, at Notre Dame Stadium.
Twenty-one of those flings went down as receptions for a total of 222 yards, but not one of those receptions went to a tight end.
For Irish offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, four decades removed from his own playing career as a tight end at Grand Valley State, the latter part didn’t sit right.
“I want to see more production out of that group, in the passing game in particular,” Denbrock said. “I’m more than thrilled where we are in the run game. With Coop (Flanagan) and James Flanigan and Tyrus Washington and the guys in that room, we can line up physically with anybody.”
That’s just part of the job description, however, especially at a place that justifiably considers itself Tight End U.
“Can we run and play football in space and make plays in the passing game and be our quarterback’s best friend when he needs one?” Denbrock said. “That’s something we have to continue to get better at, in my opinion.”
In the span of nine plays during the second half of this 12-series scrimmage, Washington and Flanigan each had a costly dropped pass.
Washington’s bobble came on a strike from CJ Carr over the middle and ricocheted off safety Ethan Long and into the greedy hands of linebacker Jaylen Sneed. In Washington’s defense, he was the only player wearing the Guardian cap that is said to lower the risk of concussion.
Flanigan, a redshirt freshman who played just 51 offensive snaps last fall, then dropped a quick out from freshman Noah Grubbs that would have moved the chains on second and five.
Third-round selections: Notre Dame football's Malachi Fields, Eli Raridon taken by Giants, Patriots
Roughly 15 hours earlier, Eli Raridon became property of the AFC champion New England Patriots, who used a third-round pick (95th overall) on the former Irish tight end. That made it 13 straight primary Notre Dame tight ends to be drafted eventually into the NFL.
The streak reaches back all the way to Anthony Fasano, a starter in 2004-05.
Raridon, by the way, went without a touchdown reception in his only season with Carr at the controls. Washington, the Arkansas transfer known mainly for his blocking, had the only touchdown catch by a Notre Dame tight end in 2025.
That came on a 4-yard toss from Carr in the latter stages of a 49-10 home blowout of Navy.
Irish tight ends weren’t much better in the passing game on April 18 in the jersey scrimmage, a far better barometer of where things stand after Marcus Freeman’s fifth spring practice at the helm.
Fourth-string option Jack Larsen made a leaping grab of a Grubbs strike over the middle for 16 yards, but soon after that same attempted combination resulted in a 60-yard interception return by safety Luke Talich.
Flanigan had the only other reception by a tight end that day, but Carr’s flip to him in the flat went for no gain.
Far more is expected, of course, at Tight End U.
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame football needs more from its tight ends in passing game
Continue reading...
Twenty-one of those flings went down as receptions for a total of 222 yards, but not one of those receptions went to a tight end.
For Irish offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, four decades removed from his own playing career as a tight end at Grand Valley State, the latter part didn’t sit right.
“I want to see more production out of that group, in the passing game in particular,” Denbrock said. “I’m more than thrilled where we are in the run game. With Coop (Flanagan) and James Flanigan and Tyrus Washington and the guys in that room, we can line up physically with anybody.”
That’s just part of the job description, however, especially at a place that justifiably considers itself Tight End U.
“Can we run and play football in space and make plays in the passing game and be our quarterback’s best friend when he needs one?” Denbrock said. “That’s something we have to continue to get better at, in my opinion.”
In the span of nine plays during the second half of this 12-series scrimmage, Washington and Flanigan each had a costly dropped pass.
Washington’s bobble came on a strike from CJ Carr over the middle and ricocheted off safety Ethan Long and into the greedy hands of linebacker Jaylen Sneed. In Washington’s defense, he was the only player wearing the Guardian cap that is said to lower the risk of concussion.
Flanigan, a redshirt freshman who played just 51 offensive snaps last fall, then dropped a quick out from freshman Noah Grubbs that would have moved the chains on second and five.
Third-round selections: Notre Dame football's Malachi Fields, Eli Raridon taken by Giants, Patriots
Touchdowns tough to come by at Tight End U.
Roughly 15 hours earlier, Eli Raridon became property of the AFC champion New England Patriots, who used a third-round pick (95th overall) on the former Irish tight end. That made it 13 straight primary Notre Dame tight ends to be drafted eventually into the NFL.
The streak reaches back all the way to Anthony Fasano, a starter in 2004-05.
Raridon, by the way, went without a touchdown reception in his only season with Carr at the controls. Washington, the Arkansas transfer known mainly for his blocking, had the only touchdown catch by a Notre Dame tight end in 2025.
That came on a 4-yard toss from Carr in the latter stages of a 49-10 home blowout of Navy.
Irish tight ends weren’t much better in the passing game on April 18 in the jersey scrimmage, a far better barometer of where things stand after Marcus Freeman’s fifth spring practice at the helm.
Fourth-string option Jack Larsen made a leaping grab of a Grubbs strike over the middle for 16 yards, but soon after that same attempted combination resulted in a 60-yard interception return by safety Luke Talich.
Flanigan had the only other reception by a tight end that day, but Carr’s flip to him in the flat went for no gain.
Far more is expected, of course, at Tight End U.
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame football needs more from its tight ends in passing game
Continue reading...
