Notre Dame Hits the Mark With Tight End Evan Jacobson During Campus Visit

The Notre Dame recruiting staff has been building some serious momentum with the 2026 class. The Irish are looking to add difference makers at the tight end position, and they recently had one of their top targets on campus for a visit. Evan Jacobson, a towering 6-foot-7, 220-pound prospect out of Waukee (Iowa) High School, recently made the trip to South Bend — and it’s safe to say the Irish made the most of the opportunity.

“The visit was amazing — that’s truthfully the best way to describe it,” Jacobson told Irish Breakdown. “It was extremely beneficial and I left with no questions unanswered.”

From top to bottom, Jacobson’s time on campus hit all the right notes. What stood out the most to the talented prospect? The people.

“Everyone there was super easy to talk to, and I just felt comfortable around them,” he said. “That definitely helped strengthen my relationships with the staff. Also, you can tell everyone just wants the program to succeed and you to succeed.”

The Irish made it clear: Jacobson is a major priority.

“Their main message was what I can do for Notre Dame and what Notre Dame can do for me,” he said. “They made it clear that I’m their guy. They love how they can use me by flexing me out or putting me in line. Also, everything Notre Dame can do for me outside of football — that was something Coach (Marcus) Freeman really touched on in our meeting.”

Offensively, Jacobson sees a strong fit in Notre Dame’s system — especially with offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock also serving as tight ends coach.

“I believe I would be a great fit for their offense,” Jacobson said. “Anytime the tight ends coach is also the OC, you know the tight end is going to be very involved. That obviously really excites me. And I think with their rich tight end history, I could fit right in with those guys with my size and skill.”

His connection with the staff, particularly Denbrock, continues to grow stronger.

“My relationship with Coach Denbrock has been really good and continues to grow, but I think this visit specifically really helped strengthen it,” Jacobson said. “Just getting to watch him coach and then sitting down and talking football and seeing their plan for me was really good. I feel very comfortable with him and Coach Bivin.”

Jacobson has already locked in his official visit to Notre Dame for June 20-22 and is planning to make a final decision after wrapping up his OVs this summer.

In short, this visit looks like a major win for the Irish. If Notre Dame keeps pushing the way they have been, they could be tough to beat in this one. Stay tuned — this recruitment is heating up.

Jacobson is ranked as a four-star prospect according to On3. He holds offers from Notre Dame, Ohio State, LSU, Penn State, Auburn, Florida State, Miami, Texas A&M, Nebraska, Baylor, Arkansas, Louisville, Wisconsin, Iowa State, Illinois, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Minnesota, Boston College, Michigan State, West Virginia, Purdue, Stanford, Indiana, and Colorado.