Notre Dame TE Jack Larsen shares unique secret to his success

Jack Larsen finished his high school career with 2,085 receiving yards and 27 touchdowns from his tight end position and parlayed his prep excellence into a Notre Dame football scholarship.

Larsen attributes some of his success to the physical, mental and even spiritual practice of yoga.

“I always heard how it was good for flexibility,” Larsen told Blue & Gold Illustrated. “I used to be pretty stiff; my lower back was starting to hurt. So I decided to give yoga a try, and I loved it.

“It’s helped me with my range of motion and flexibility. It’s also great to get your mind off of what’s going on and break away —relax your mind, body and get a good stretch.”

Larsen noted that he’s been doing yoga since his freshman year of high school. He admits that he’s not an expert in the field yet, but hopes he can continue to practice during his time at Notre Dame.

“I’m not doing all the handstands yet, but hopefully I’ll get there,” he said.

The 6-3, 233-pounder tries to practice yoga once per week — typically on Sundays, and he tries to fit in a second workout during the week.

“Staying flexible is great for recovery and injury prevention,” he continued. “It’s a good workout. You feel great after.”

The mental and spiritual side of yoga has its benefits for football players off the field, but an underrated aspect of it is what it can do physically. Larsen said that he’s been able to make plays during his high school career that he wouldn’t have been able to do if not for his newfound flexibility.

“Turning to catch a ball — you have that extra range of motion,” he said. “I definitely feel that. And my overall flexibility is better than what it was. It’s contributed to me being able to make better plays.”

Larsen committed to the Irish way on June 24, 2022, and built a close relationship with former tight ends coach and offensive coordinator Gerad Parker, who left his post in South Bend to become Troy’s new head coach. Their connection had spanned for nearly two years.

Going into his January early enrollment at Notre Dame , Larsen was both sad to see Parker leave and fired up regarding his replacement, Mike Denbrock.

“It was tough for Coach Parker to go, but it’s all good,” Larsen said. “I’m excited for Coach Denbrock; I’ve heard great things about him.”

The Jack Larsen bio

Statistics

• Compiled 117 receptions for 2,085 yards and scored 27 touchdowns during his prep career.

• Finished his senior season with 45 catches for 811 yards and 11 scores.

• Had 6 touchdown grabs as a freshman, while helping Charlotte Catholic win the North Carolina 3A state championship.

Notable

• Named to the All-Charlotte Observer first-team offense in 2022 and 2023. 

• Earned a spot on the HighSchoolOT.com North Carolina All-State Football second-team in 2023 and was a first-team pick in 2022.

• Tabbed as a North Carolina High School Football Recruiting Blue Sheet Academic All-State performer in 2023.

• Named to the North Carolina Sportswriters’ all-state first-team in 2022.

• Former Notre Dame offensive lineman Mark Harrell served as an assistant coach at Charlotte Catholic while Larsen played there.

Recruitment

• Committed to the Fighting Irish on June 24, 2022.

• Enrolled at Notre Dame in January.

• Also held scholarship offers from Alabama, Clemson, Michigan, Ohio State and others.

• Recruited by former tight ends coach and offensive coordinator Gerad Parker.

• Visited campus 10 times, including his official visit on June 16, 2023.

2024 Projection

• A sneaky candidate to play a role for the Irish this season. The tight end room may need his services as a versatile player.

Prep Football Report recruiting analyst Tom Lemming: “He’s an athletic tight end who runs well. He’s a legit four-star tight end. He doesn’t have the typical Notre Dame size at the position. In-line blocking will be an area that needs improvement, but he’s a fluid route runner, can catch everything within his frame and is a threat as a receiver.

“They can split him out like they did with Michael Mayer, but he’ll have to work on his blocking and gain more weight and strength. Larsen is one of the premier receiving tight ends in the country.”