Why first Notre Dame recruiting visit was so special for 2026 TE Cooper McCutchan
This past Saturday was Cooper McCutchan’s first time inside Notre Dame Stadium as a prospect being evaluated by the Fighting Irish coaching staff. But it wasn’t his first time getting to South Bend and watching a game on the hallowed ground in college football lore.
McCutchan, a class of 2026 tight end prospect from Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller, remembers going to Notre Dame games as young as eight years old. He grew up in a family full of Fighting Irish fans going back generations.
Kentucky, Texas A&M, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Vanderbilt, Duke and West Virginia are among the school that have already offered McCutchan a scholarship. Notre Dame joining that list would be a big deal for McCutchan, and of course his family as well.
“If Notre Dame was to offer me, it would be awesome because I’ve grown up going to games with my dad,” McCutchan told Blue & Gold. “It would be really cool to have the opportunity to play for a team I grew up watching. I’ve been going to Notre Dame games my whole life.
McCutchan had a great time at the game and enjoyed getting to meet some new people.
“The highlights of the trip were definitely getting to hang out and talk to Coach [Marcus] Freeman,” McCutchan said. “I met [former Irish quarterback] Sam Hartman and got to catch up with Mr. [Chad] Bowden. The vibe in the stadium was awesome.”
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There’s plenty of Cincinnati flavor on the Irish coaching staff, including at the top with Marcus Freeman from Dayton, which is just up the interstate from Cincinnati. Cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens, general manager Chad Bowden and director of recruiting Caleb Davis are all Cincinnati/Dayton guys as well. And defensive coordinator Al Golden coached for the Cincinnati Bengals before joining the Fighting Irish staff a couple years ago.
McCutchan noted that he chatted with Bowden and Davis about their shared hometown and the highly competitive high school football scene in The Queen City.
Next up in the recruiting travel plans for McCutchan is heading to Columbus this Saturday to see the showdown between Ohio State and Indiana. He’s also hoping to get to LSU before the season ends.
McCutchan, who reports that he stands at 6-4, 230 pounds, ranks as the No. 520 overall player and No. 23 tight end in America according to the 2026 On3 Industry Ranking.
