Notre Dame Got A Great One In Legacy Tight End James Flanigan
Notre Dame received a massive commitment on Saturday when 2025 Green Bay (Wis.) Notre Dame Academy tight end James Flanigan opted for the Irish over offers from Michigan, Wisconsin, Penn State, Stanford, Louisville, Minnesota and Illinois among others.
Flanigan is the son of former Irish defensive lineman Jim Flanigan. While the last name is great to see as an Irish fan, it’s the player that is even more exciting. The Wisconsin native is currently considered to be the No. 93 overall player and No. 5 tight end in the 2025 recruiting class according to the On3 ranking.
On paper, this commitment is a big deal. According to Notre Dame Academy head coach Mike Rader, rankings and stats will never tell the full story.
“James is such a great young man,” Rader told Irish Breakdown. “He’s obviously very talented but you would never know it when you talk to him. He is so humble and such a hard worker. He just never seems satisfied.”
Based on his athletic resume, Flanigan has a great claim as one of the top overall athletes in the 2025 recruiting class. Rader verifies what we all know, Flanigan is a freak.
“From an athleticism perspective, there really is no limit to how good he can be,” he explained. “He is one of the most natural athletes I have ever seen. No matter what you ask him to do, in any sport, he seems to flourish. It’s really impressive to watch.”
The crazy part is we’re talking about a high school junior. Flanigan is only going to get better.
“He might still have a growth spurt,” Rader said. “Just wait until he keeps filling out and gets stronger. He’s going to be even more explosive. There really is no telling just how good he can be.”
It also doesn’t hurt having a former Notre Dame player as a father. In a lot of ways, Flanigan has been ahead of the curve very early on. There’s a natural instinct to playing the game of football.
Obviously James comes from a great family,” he said. “They are a football family of course. With his dad, you would expect him to be really sharp on the field and he is exactly that. He has a great instinct to how to play the game.”
Some won’t appreciate just how big of a recruitment win this is. If he is developed properly, Flanigan has a chance to be truly special.
“Notre Dame is getting a great one,” Rader said. “I’m excited to see all that he accomplishes but really happy to still have him for another year.”
On the football field, Flanigan brings some impressive upside. He was a two-way star for the team as a sophomore, making a plethora of plays at both tight end and linebacker. The sophomore standout hauled in 22 receptions for 520 yards and nine touchdowns.
On defense, Flanigan recorded 66 total tackles, seven tackles for loss and three sacks. He was selected as an All Conference performer at both positions.
As a junior, Flanigan has hauled in 10 receptions for 264 yards and four touchdowns in five games played.
Flanigan is also a standout left winger for the school’s hockey team. They are fresh off of a 28-0 record this season, which included a state championship. Flanigan is a legitimate prospect on the ice as well.
If that wasn’t enough, Flanigan is also a dynamic thrower for the school’s track and field program. He is fresh off of the state championship with a discus throw of 177 '10". Flanigan also finished second in the shot put with a best throw of 52 '7".
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