Cooper Flanagan Ready To Carry On Notre Dame Legacy At Tight End

When 2023 Concord (Calif.) De La Salle tight end Cooper Flanagan signed on the dotted line of his national letter of intent, it seemed as though he had been part of the Notre Dame program for some time. The standout two-way player was in the class for over a year, and now he's finally ready to enroll.

The last several months have been dedicated to Flanagan’s preparation to arrive officially on June 9th. Over the last couple of weeks, he has graduated from high school, had some family time and just enjoyed his last few days in California.

Move in day will be filled with mixed emotions. One thing is for certain, Flanagan believe he is ready.

"Preparation has been going well,” he told Irish Breakdown. "I have just been putting in a ton of work on the juggs, lifting, hand-eye coordination drills, anything to help me be ready to go. It’s a grind but I really enjoy the daily routine of it all.

"Everything in general has been good,” Flanagan continued. "I officially graduated from De La Salle, just packing and getting ready for move-in day. I am looking forward to getting started finally, and can't wait to get there. I am sure I will miss home a little but just really ready.”

The De La Salle program has a tremendous tradition of winning. That is ultimately all that matters to Flanagan, creating those bonds and winning football games is the top priority.

"I really just want to get to know the fellas, bond, and develop as a team,” Flanagan explained. "I’m ready to start workouts and get football ready. Of course my goal is to play, contribute to the team right away and be successful in my position but really it's about the team. I also want to be successful with classes, so getting organized right away will be key for me.”

When Flanagan originally committed to Notre Dame, the tight end coach, and his main recruiter, was John McNulty. A lot has changed since that initial pledge.

Over the last few months, Flanagan has gotten to know his new position coach Gerad Parker on a deeper level. The two were able to forge a great bond and settle any reservations he had. With Parker now being the offensive coordinator, Flanagan is excited to officially play for him soon. Parker has laid the groundwork for him to make an impact early on.

"I am super excited (to play) for Coach Parker,” he said. "He is a really great person and an inspiring coach. I have been watching film with Coach (Caleb) Carbine and that has been really helpful. I have been studying the playbook for a while now to get oriented and Coach C has been really helping me prep. Coach Parker set me up with all this and has been a huge help.”

Flanagan may be donning the No. 87 that was left by former star Michael Mayer. The California star is ready to carry that tradition that so many outstanding tight ends have left behind.

Playing in a heavy run offense, Flanagan’s biggest responsibility was as a run blocker, where he shows some massive upside. Despite limited opportunities, he was still able to lead the team with 285 receiving yards. Flanagan did so on just 15 receptions (19 yards per reception) and a touchdown as a junior in 2021.

Flanagan did the same as a senior. He again led the Spartans in receiving, hauling in 26 receptions for 490 yards and three touchdowns. He was also a valuable member of the team’s defensive line.

He is well regarded as far as the recruiting rankings are concerned. Flanagan is currently rated as the No. 109 player and No. 8 tight end according to 247Sports. He is a consensus four star recruit across the board.

He ultimately chose Notre Dame over an especially impressive over list. Some of the notable offers included the Irish, Alabama, LSU, Michigan, Miami, Florida State, Tennessee and many others.

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