Notre Dame Fighting Irish Prepare for 2026 Season

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will have a different looking tight end room in 2026.

The unit enters the season with questions but also plenty of talent.

What happened to the tight end position?

Notre Dame had to replace its top tight end after Eli Raridon was drafted in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

This marked the second straight year that Notre Dame had to replace a tight end who was drafted.

Who are the key players at tight end?

Cooper Flanagan and Ty Washington are expected to lead the unit.

Flanagan was healthy all spring and showed off his blocking skills.

He finished the spring as the No. 1 tight end and is expected to maintain that role during the fall.

What are the expectations for the tight end unit?

The expectation is that the unit plays at a high level, but the specifics of how they are used might look different.

The 2026 tight end group is expected to be much stronger in the run game.

The run game will remain strong in part because of the tight end position.

And the ultimate success of the unit will be determined by how much growth it can show in the pass game.

Notre Dame's next game is vs Wisconsin Badgers on 2026-09-06.

The Irish will need to replace Raridon's production, but they have talent and depth at the position.

Ty Washington is the career leader with 19 catches, but only five came in an Irish uniform.

Cooper Flanagan has just five career catches, but three of those five catches went for touchdowns.

The tight end unit will be a key part of the Irish offense in 2026.

Flanagan is a proven blocker but will need to show he can make more of an impact in the pass game.

He has the tools to make an impact in the pass game, but that just hasn't been his role so far.

The Irish are expected to have a strong one-two punch at tight end with Flanagan and Washington.

But there are more questions about who gets on the field after them.

Washington was the No. 2 tight end last season and had a solid first season with the Irish.

He will need to be more consistently physical at the point of attack, and play every week like he did against Arkansas.

Washington has some pass game chops, and if he's going to contribute, he'll need to show it.

The Irish have a lot of talent at tight end, but they need to put it all together.

They have the potential to be one of the best tight end units in the country.

But they need to prove it on the field.

The 2026 season will be a big test for the Irish tight end unit.

They'll need to step up and make plays if they want to succeed.

And with their next game vs Wisconsin Badgers on 2026-09-06, they'll have a big opportunity to do just that.