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Notre Dame tight end Cooper Flanagan leaves Sugar Bowl game due to injury

Kyle Kellyby:Kyle Kelly•01/02/25•

ByKyleKelly

Cooper Flanagan
Notre Dame tight end Cooper Flangan. (Mike Miller/Blue & Gold)

Blue & Gold spotted Notre Dame sophomore tight end Cooper Flanagan on the sideline during the second quarter of Thursday’s Sugar Bowl game. He was using crutches and wearing an orthopedic boot on his left foot. Flanagan no longer had his helmet with him.

During the first half of the Fighting Irish’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against Georgia, Flanagan spent at least 10 minutes in the injury tent on the Notre Dame sideline. When he emerged, he appeared upset and was consoled by graduate student tight end Kevin Bauman. Flanagan did not record any stats before the injury.

Flanagan suffered a left ankle injury earlier this season, resulting in a “questionable” availability designation before the Stanford game on Oct. 12. However, he has not missed any games this season.

READ: Live updates, highlights, game score: No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Georgia in Sugar Bowl

Entering the Georgia game, Flanagan had played 262 offensive snaps this season. Though Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock primarily utilized him as a blocker, especially in the run game, he had 4 catches for 55 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Flanagan also played special teams, primarily on the kick return and field goal/extra point block units. He also played on punt coverage in Week 3 against Purdue.

Cooper Flanagan a key piece to Notre Dame football’s offense

This season, only senior Mitchell Evans and junior Eli Raridon have logged more snaps on offense at tight end. Evans, who has started eight games this season, has been on the field for 400 offensive plays, while Raridon has logged 313. In addition to them, Bauman and senior Davis Sherwood have played tight end for the Irish this season.

Evans leads the team with 3 touchdown catches. He is also second on the team in receptions with 31 and third in receiving yards with 289. Raridon has caught 9 passes for 70 yards and a touchdown. Bauman and Sherwood each have a catch.

A product of Concord (Calif.) De La Salle, Flanagan emerged as a freshman for the Fighting Irish. He played 109 snaps last season. Over half of them came (62) after Evans suffered a season-ending injury against Pittsburgh in Week 10. Flanagan’s lone 19-yard catch last season was a touchdown.

Flanagan was a four-star prospect in high school. According to the On3 Industry Rankings, Flanagan was the No. 253 overall player, the No.16 tight end nationally and the No. 20 player in California in the 2023 recruiting class. He held scholarship offers from Alabama, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Oregon, Tennessee and seven other power conference schools.

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