LSU offers 4-star Notre Dame TE commit Cooper Flanagan

Concord (Calif.) De La Salle tight end Cooper Flanagan is a wanted man. Despite being committed to Notre Dame since September, Flanagan is still receiving plenty of interest — and offers — from other programs. Alabama entered the mix last month when it extended an offer, and late Thursday night, LSU did the same.

Flanagan is the No. 209 prospect in the 2023 class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He ranks as the nation’s No. 12 tight end and the No. 13 junior prospect in California.

Very blessed to have received an offer from Louisiana State University. Thank you coaches @MikeDenbrock and @CoachJ_LSU for this opportunity! pic.twitter.com/YCJH2dy60R

— Cooper Flanagan (@CooperXFlanagan) February 11, 2022

The Fighting Irish offered Flanagan in early August, and a month later, he chose Notre Dame over offers from Washington, California, Arizona and Colorado. And while other programs have continued to pursue him, Flanagan told On3’s Chad Simmons last month that he’s still locked in with Notre Dame.

“Alabama is a fantastic program, and I am honored to get the offer, but I am still big on Notre Dame,” Flanagan said. “I love the coaching staff at Notre Dame, the school itself, and the tradition. … Back in my sophomore year, when I started getting offers, I kind of knew I wanted to go to Notre Dame. I loved Notre Dame as a kid, then after visiting there in the summer, and learning about the school, what the offer means, and seeing the campus, I knew it was right.”

Flanagan loves the Marcus Freeman promotion

Flanagan is not ruling out a visit to Tuscaloosa or other schools down the road. But he is strong with his commitment. Marcus Freeman moving from defensive coordinator to head coach is something he is excited about.

Freeman and much of the staff in South Bend has Flanagan feeling good about his future there.

“Coach Freeman is awesome,” Flanagan added. “He reaches out weekly to me directly. He is a great person and a fantastic coach. I think hiring him as the new head coach was a great move for Notre Dame. I also love Coach Rees, Coach McNulty, Coach Bowen, and Coach Brown. They have been very involved in my recruitment. My connection with the coaches is strong.”

Whether LSU, which is led by former Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly, can really enter the mix for Cooper Flanagan remains to be seen. The Tigers signed one tight end in the 2022 class, but struck out with in-stater Danny Lewis, who chose Alabama. Kelly and Co. have offered more than a dozen tight ends in the 2023 class. That includes the top two players at the position, Duce Robinson and Jaxon Howard.