Notre Dame football has had an interesting cycle for 2026 tight end recruiting so far. Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish staff is in a good spot for Waukee (Iowa) High School standout Evan Jacobson, but they still need to close that one out. The program is also interested in signing a second tight end, but nobody knows who that will be right now.
The Notre Dame staff did make a very interesting offer this week to Mansfield (Ohio) Lexington tight end Brayden Fogle. One of the more highly ranked tight end in the 2026 class, the timing of this offer is interesting. It’s a late start in the recruitment, but the Fighting Irish start their hard change now.
After a great conversation with @MikeDenbrock and @NDFootball I’m blessed to receive an offer from The University of Notre Dame. ☘️ pic.twitter.com/EovGcnim7O
— Brayden Fogle (@brayden_fogle23) May 21, 2025
Fogle is considered to be a consensus four-star player by every major recruiting platform. 247Sports currently has Fogle rated as the No. 132 overall player, No. 8 tight end, and No. 6 player in the state of Ohio in the 2026 recruiting class. He is rated similarly on the 247Sports Composite ranking, sitting as the No. 161 overall player, No. 9 tight end, and No. 7 state of Ohio for the class.
The offer list for Fogle is an elite one. Some of the top programs that have offered the Ohio star include the Fighting Irish, Georgia, Michigan, LSU, Ole Miss, Penn State, Auburn, Michigan State, South Carolina, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Syracuse, Cincinnati, Virginia, Duke, Stanford, and Purdue among many others.
Also a standout on the basketball court, Fogle is a tremendous athlete. At 6-3 and 225 pounds, he has recorded the forty-yard dash in 4.63 second, putting his big play ability into context. Fogle has also posted a 34-inch vertical jump in the past, as well as putting up some impressive weight room numbers for his size. His background as a basketball player really shows up in his talents as an athlete and with his raw explosiveness.
Who knows if Notre Dame has a legitimate chance at Fogle. If they do make waves, he would be a potentially tremendous addition. He is an outstanding talent that the program needs to get on campus soon.
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