Flash Forward: Notre Dame Has Set the Stage for a Hotly Competitive and Star-Studded Position Battle at Tight End in 2026

The Fighting Irish have long been known as “Tight End U” in college football, and based on their future roster outlook, that nickname isn’t going anywhere. As the calendar inches closer to the 2026 season, Notre Dame is poised to host one of the most intense, high-level position battles in the country at tight end — a convergence of elite recruits, rising veterans, and schemed opportunity under an offensive system that feeds the position. For fans, it will be a thrilling storyline. For coaches, a strategic headache. And for players, it’ll be all-out war in the film room, weight room, and every single practice rep.

When Notre Dame takes the field for spring ball in 2026, the tight end room will be arguably the most talent-rich in the country. Even by Irish standards — where the likes of Tyler Eifert, Kyle Rudolph, Cole Kmet, and Michael Mayer have walked through the locker room — the current assembly of skill, size, and potential is staggering. The tight end battle is not just about replacing production or naming a starter. It’s a defining moment in the offensive identity of a team with playoff aspirations and championship expectations.

The setup for this brewing clash has been years in the making. Recruiting, development, and program culture have all aligned to create a pressure cooker. Notre Dame’s staff has been aggressive and precise, building a tight end group with a mix of highly ranked prep stars and under-the-radar grinders who’ve developed behind the scenes.

Heading into the 2026 campaign, the first name to know is Cooper Alexander. The Oklahoma native — a 2024 signee and a Top-10 tight end nationally — arrived with all the physical tools and maturity needed to be a cornerstone. He’s already caught eyes in early action and practices, showing off route-running polish and natural hands that give him every chance to be a matchup nightmare. Alexander has the classic Notre Dame build and temperament: unselfish, physical, and utterly focused on team success. But he’s not alone.

Push him even a little, and standing next to him is Eli Raridon, a veteran tight end who has battled injury and returned to reclaim his spot as a trusted blocker and sneaky-good pass catcher. If he remains healthy, his leadership and grit will be hard to ignore. Raridon brings a different kind of presence: more blue-collar, more traditional, and battle-tested. He may not have Alexander’s burst or highlight-reel potential, but he’s a safe, coach-trusted asset who will grind through camp with a chip on his shoulder.

Behind them are even more names fighting for a piece of the pie. 2025 recruit James Flanigan, a legacy player whose father starred in South Bend and later in the NFL, will be a true freshman, but he’s not the type to sit quietly. Flanigan’s blend of size, toughness, and athleticism is advanced for his age. Depending on how he acclimates to the college game, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him force his way onto the field in special packages or goal-line scenarios. There’s also an ongoing internal buzz about the emergence of Cooper Facen, a redshirt sophomore who has slowly but steadily developed into a strong, well-rounded option — a coach’s dream of dependability.

And yet, this room isn’t just depth for depth’s sake. Notre Dame’s new-look offense, under offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, thrives on tight end versatility. The 2026 playbook will be built on motion, mismatches, and unpredictability — an ideal laboratory for multiple tight ends to thrive. We’re likely to see several 12- and 13-personnel packages that keep defenses guessing, shifting and spreading the field with players who can all catch, block, and stretch seams.

In short, this is not a traditional battle where one player wins and the others vanish. This is a long-term, multi-front war for relevance and role. Each tight end brings something different. Alexander is the modern hybrid — able to split wide, break tackles, and find soft zones. Raridon is the classic inline hammer. Flanigan could become a red-zone savant. Facen might offer the best mix of both styles. There will be room for all, but only those who grasp the complexity of Denbrock’s system — and execute it at game speed — will rise to the top of the snap count.

The off-field component will matter, too. Leadership, film study, durability — it’s all in play. In a program like Notre Dame’s, where high character and high IQ are prerequisites, players will need more than raw skill to win reps. Spring practice in 2026 will be as much mental as it is physical, with tight ends constantly challenged to shift alignments, read coverages, and contribute to blocking schemes that often ask them to operate like tackles on the edge.

And let’s not forget about special teams. Notre Dame values tight ends in kick coverage, punt protection, and field-goal units. How many ways a tight end can contribute — and how early — could be a hidden deciding factor. The coaching staff isn’t just looking for stat producers. They want warriors who can be counted on every down, every phase.

It’s also important to recognize the competitive culture of the room itself. Tight ends coach Gerad Parker has cultivated a space where every rep counts and every mistake is corrected, but the atmosphere remains supportive and developmental. That might sound like a contradiction, but at Notre Dame, it’s standard operating procedure. These players are hungry, but they’re not selfish. Each tight end wants to start, but they’re just as focused on making the group elite. That balance — that internal drive paired with unity — is why Notre Dame’s tight end room is different.

Zooming out, this competition will be about more than individual roles. It’s a mirror for where Notre Dame football is heading. A program defined by its trench play and tight end legacy is embracing modern offensive dynamics without losing its physical edge. The battle at tight end in 2026 will be the perfect representation of that duality: old-school brawlers and new-age athletes competing within a system that demands excellence from both.

Fans should buckle up for a fascinating ride. The early practices will be packed with highlight moments — one-handed grabs, pancake blocks, and big-play celebrations — but the real growth will come in the quiet moments: the corrections in film sessions, the reps after practice, the summer lifts with no cameras. This is the iron-sharpens-iron reality of elite college football, and it will play out on full display inside Notre Dame Stadium and beyond.

There’s no telling who will emerge first from the pack. Maybe it’s Alexander who takes off and becomes the next first-round pick. Maybe Raridon recaptures top form and anchors the room with his experience. Perhaps Flanigan or Facen stuns the fanbase and becomes a breakout star. But one thing is certain: no matter who takes the first snap in Week 1, the position as a whole will be a strength. It’s built that way, intentionally, purposefully, with an eye toward something greater than individual achievement.

The 2026 season is still months away, but the groundwork has already been laid. Notre Dame’s tight ends are preparing for something special — not just another season, but a defining campaign that could rewrite the way the Irish utilize the position. The battle will be fierce. The results will be national headline-worthy. And when it’s all said and done, fans will remember the 2026 tight end room as the moment “Tight End U” reasserted itself in a big, bold way.

This is the future at Notre Dame — where competition breeds excellence, and excellence breeds legacy. And nowhere is that future brighter than at tight end.