Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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46 MARCH 2023 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2023 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY TODD D. BURLAGE Looking back at the recruiting time- line and saga of Cooper Flanagan, it's probably a good thing that Notre Dame got on him early, and stayed tight with the four-star tight end throughout the process, or the coveted recruit might be somewhere else. Notre Dame offered Flanagan a schol- arship on Aug. 6, 2021. He verbally com- mitted to Irish head coach Brian Kelly about three weeks later, more than 15 months before 2023 recruits could sign on the dotted line in December 2022. Flanagan — a bruising blocker and talented receiver out of football pow- erhouse De La Salle High School near Oakland, Calif.— became the first of- fensive recruit and the fourth overall commit from the 2023 class. "I believe that we're going to play for a national championship," Flanagan said upon his verbal commitment. That was the easy part of the process, for all parties. About three months after Flanagan's commitment, Kelly was out the door. And with Kelly's departure, the poach- ers swarmed during the Irish staff re- construction. Alabama, LSU, Oregon and Michigan were just a few of the elite schools that turned up the recruiting heat on Flanagan while the Notre Dame coaching staff transitioned. Flanagan later explained that Alabama was the school that worked the hardest to flip his pledge from Notre Dame. "It's really cool," Flanagan said of the Crimson Tide coaches' intense pursuit. "But I'm set on Notre Dame." Further complicating Notre Dame's challenge to keep Flanagan from flip- ping was that two months after Kelly left for LSU, Irish tight ends coach John McNulty — Flanagan's top recruiter — left to become Boston College's offen- sive coordinator. Thankfully for Notre Dame, Flanagan became immediately impressed with new Irish head coach Marcus Freeman and new tight ends coach Gerad Parker. "Coach Parker is going to be great," Flanagan shared after the Irish coach- ing turnover had settled. "They all have a tight relationship with me, which is important. Not to mention Notre Dame as a school was always one of my top academic choices." Helping to hold Flanagan firm during his 15-month commitment was the strong relationship he built with Irish offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, who made an impromptu visit to the West Coast not long after the coaching turmoil calmed. "That was an honor," Flanagan said of Rees' visit. In mutual appreciation, Rees called Flanagan, "the best player in the Bay Area" during the early signing period. "That was the consensus from peo- ple we know and trust out there," Rees added. "This isn't a hybrid receiver. Ex- actly what he does translates to what he'll be asked to do here at Notre Dame." Flanagan arrives on campus in June ready to become the next star pupil at Tight End U. ✦ Cooper Flanagan Never Strayed From Notre Dame Flanagan remained solid on his Notre Dame commitment for 15 months despite a strong push from the Alabama Crimson Tide. PHOTO COURTESY ON3.COM COOPER FLANAGAN TIGHT END 6-5 · 239 DE LA SALLE H.S. PLEASANT HILL, CALIF. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 21 27 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 292 7 23 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 17 25 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 180 11 15 STATISTICS • As a senior, caught 26 passes for 490 yards and 3 touchdowns. Also had 38 stops, 10 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. • As a junior, had 15 catches for 285 yards and 1 TD. NOTABLE • Selected to play in the 2023 Polynesian Bowl but didn't participate due to an injury. • 2022 MaxPreps California All-State first-team offense. • 2022 Bay Area News Group all-area first-team defense. • Comes from the same high school that has pro- duced several Notre Dame stars over the past few decades, including defensive end Isaiah Foskey. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on Sept. 2, 2021. • Picked up offers from Alabama, LSU, Miami and others after picking the Irish but never wavered in his decision. • Recruited by tight ends coach Gerad Parker. • Visited Notre Dame five times, including his official visit on June 17, 2022. 2023 PROJECTION • With a loaded tight end room, Flanagan is likely to redshirt this fall. THEY SAID IT Former Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees: "He's probably the one who doesn't get talked about enough. The evaluation process doesn't stop for us after they commit. During his se- nior year, we were talking to some people out there who we trust, and [they said] Cooper Flanagan is the best player in the Bay Area. That was the consensus with the people we know and trust out there. "The thing about Coop is that he's asked to play like a real tight end; he's not split out the whole time. His hand is in the dirt, blocking a defensive end. He'll work a combination with a tackle and splits out and works a real route tree. Exactly what he does trans- lates to how he's going to be asked to be utilized here at Notre Dame. Yeah, he's a freshman tight end, but we've had freshman tight ends play for us. He knows how to do the things that are hard for young players."