Notre Dame Tight End Commit Nate Roberts “Makes Everything Look Easy”

Washington assistant coach Ethan Feuerborn gives insight into Notre Dame tight end commit Nate Roberts

On Saturday, Notre Dame received a major commitment in the 2025 recruiting class from Washington (Okla.) High School tight end Nate Roberts. The talented pass catcher is arguably the top tight end in his class and provides a big time talent to a Fighting Irish squad who has historically put out as much talent at the tight end position as anyone.

When you flip on the film, it’s very easy to see why so many schools made Roberts such a priority in the 2025 class. You can see the size, the athleticism, the after catch ability, the upside. It’s all there.

According to Ethan Feuerborn, an assistant football coach at Washington, it isn’t just his physical traits that stand out. It’s the little things when people aren’t looking that allows Roberts to stand out.

"Nate is obviously a great athlete, but it’s his work ethic that really separates him,” Feuerborn told Irish Breakdown. “The kid wants to compete. It’s crazy how good he got so quickly. This past season was his first year playing tight end, he was a quarterback before that and a really good one.”

What Roberts put on film in 2022, when you consider it was his first year at the position, is pretty remarkable. From the sound of it, he’s one of those athletes that excels pretty quickly at everything he tries.

"He could play on a high level of college as a quarterback,” Feuerborn stated. "He could probably also play baseball at a high level. Nate is just one of those natural kids who makes things look easy.

"I remember the first day I saw him, I was like, 'That’s a good looking kid, he’s going to be tough to lose',” reminisced the Washington assistant coach. "Then the coach told me that he was only a freshman. I thought he was a senior. Nate had just closed out the state championship game on the mound as a pitcher for the baseball team. “”

It’s no secret where Roberts’ athleticism comes from. He comes from a long line of talented athletes.

"First of all, he’s just an outstanding kid,” he explained. "He comes from a really good family that includes a lot of athletes. Both of Nate’s parents were college athletes. His brother (Jake) is playing tight end at Baylor and his sister just signed to play D1 volleyball. It’s just in Nate’s blood.”

Roberts doesn't rely on his natural talent to thrive. He works to perfect his game, and it allowed him to quickly adapt to playing tight end.

"He’s the type of kid who doesn’t want to cut corners,” said Feuerborn. "When he was on these visits, Nate would feel bad about missing some practice time so he could come back and make up everything he missed on his own time. We told him it was okay but that wasn’t enough for him. He’s just a worker and always wants to set the precedent.”

That precedent is also set for his Washington teammates. As coaches have come through, it has been incredible for the program’s exposure. Roberts is the first recruit who has been recruited at this high of a level but the coaches are hoping it’s the start of something special.

"The attention has also been great for our kids,” Feuerborn explained. "When these great coaches are coming through, all of the younger guys want to be able to stand out and get recognized. They want the coaches to leave thinking, who’s that kid?

"It’s been crazy, that’s the best word for it,” he continued. "Literally every day when coaches could come in, we’d have a school come out to see Nate. It was the who’s who of college football. It was really cool to meet all of the coaches. It was definitely overwhelming for Nate at first, but he really adapted well.”

For a long time, Notre Dame has been the team to beat. Part of it is because of the allure of the Irish program. The other part was the hustle of the Notre Dame coaches. That put things over the top for Notre Dame.

"Notre Dame was sort of his favorite school growing up,” Feuerborn noted. “Plus with the Catholic background, that’s been a big sell. Growing up, everyone knows Notre Dame. Everyone knows who that helmet belongs to. They have the tradition of producing great tight ends, players in general and people.

"For Nate, it was really about relationships,” Feuerborn added. "There were some schools that would come in and think Nate would come just because of the name on their chest. The schools who have had a serious chance are the ones that valued him as a person and built that relationship. Notre Dame would come in here and you could tell they cared about building that relationship with him.”

Roberts will be making the 13-hour trip up to South Bend, Indiana. For some young student-athletes, being that far away from home would be tough. For Roberts, it’s a challenge that he’s been prepared and ready for.

“I think he would handle it really well,” he said. "He’s kind of used to the process of just learning from his brother. Nate understands the grind. Plus he had such a great family and support system around him. I think he’ll make it as seamless or a transition as he possibly can.”

The 6-4, 225-pound tight end was a dynamic pass catcher as a sophomore. Roberts would explode for 705 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on just 33 receptions, averaging 21.3 yards per reception. His explosiveness was put on full display after the catch with 324 yards.

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2024 Commit Rankings - Defense

2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Offense
2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Defense

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