Notre Dame Commit Cooper Flanagan Ready To Get Back To Campus

Tight end commit Cooper Flanagan is ready to get back to Notre Dame this weekend

Notre Dame is welcoming a familiar face back to campus this weekend, bringing in Concord (Calif.) De La Salle tight end commit Cooper Flanagan. Of course this won't be the Notre Dame commit's first visit to campus, but it is the first since the Irish remade the staff after Marcus Freeman was named the head coach.

“This will be my third visit to campus,” Flanagan said. “We did last June with Coach (John) McNulty, did a game last November and now this one," Flanagan said. "I am excited to see practice in action. I want to check out the dorms if possible and meet some of the fellas.”

With Freeman and his staff fully entrenched in spring practice mode, the momentum is firmly in the program's favor. That excitement for the on field product has also boiled over on the recruiting trail, where the Irish currently boast the top ranked class in the 2023 cycle.

Flanagan is part of that top-ranked class, and even with his commitment to Notre Dame in a strong place, there is still some relationship building that needs to take place between the talented tight end and the staff. His potential position coach, Gerad Parker, is one who he especially wants to get familiar with more.

“I just want to see all the work live and have a little idea of what to expect,” Flanagan explained. “I am very excited to watch Coach Parker in action. This will be my first meeting with him. I hope to watch some film together and hang out a bit to get to know him.”

Flanagan won't be alone on the trip, and the entire family is comfortable with his decision.

“I am going with my mom on this trip,” he said. “My family loves Notre Dame for sure. Being from the East Coast, they like the Midwest and support leaving California if that is what is best for my academic and football career.”

Notre Dame has traditionally produced the tight end position as well as any program in college football. They have continued that tradition with Michael Mayer, who is arguably the best returning tight end in the country. Flanagan is excited by the prospect of getting to know Mayer and all the other talented tight ends already on the roster.

“I have not spoken to any of the other tight ends yet, so I hope to do that on this trip,” said Flanagan. “Getting to know some of the guys will be important for me.

“Michael Mayer is a beast and really someone that is a role model for the community, the school and of course the tight end position,” Flanagan continued. “I hope to meet him and learn from him in the short time I have this weekend. Most likely he will be gone before I get there, so I have to soak up anything he tells me at this point.”

Flanagan was the team’s leader in receiving yards in De La Salle's run heavy system, racking up 285 yards and a touchdown on 15 receptions. The 6-5, 240-pound tight end was tasked with huge responsibility as a blocker in the run game, where the 10-3 squad rushed for 3,088 yards and 41 touchdowns while averaging a staggering 7.7 yards per carry.

The De La Salle standout is ranked as the nation's No. 108 player in the country according to 247Sports and is ranked as the No. 8 tight end.

He has garnered interest from some of the premier programs in all of college football. Some of Flanagan’s notable offers include Notre Dame, Alabama, Florida State, LSU and Michigan among others. Alabama made a hard run at Flanagan after he committed to Notre Dame, but the standout tight end remains firm in his pledge to the Irish.

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