Notre Dame is now 41 days away from kicking off the 2025 season against the Miami Hurricanes down in Hard Rock Stadium. The Irish will be relying on some impact players to get them through the home opener as well as getting them back to another run at the National Championship. I broke down who I believe will be the top 50 impactful players for Notre Dame this season. Let’s continue this countdown to kickoff with my No. 41 most impactful player, Arkansas transfer tight end Ty Washington.
Outside of starting tight end Eli Raridon, the tight end room is South Bend remains a question mark as the team prepares for fall camp. Not all question marks are bad, it's just a matter of what the role of the depth in the room will be. The talent and potential in the room is undeniable, and adding a guy like Washington only adds to the ceiling of this unit.
Washington has only appeared in 15 games over his career while down in Fayetteville. Shockingly, that's still more in game experience than Jack Larsen and he's produced more than Raridon and sixth year senior Kevin Bauman statistically. The 6-4 247 pound Georgia native arrived on campus this summer and has been working out with the team since. He's proven to be a legitimate red zone threat scoring two touchdowns on the road against Ole Miss in 2023. He also hauled in a score against Kansas in 2022 in a 55-53 triple overtime shoot out.
He has played on multiple big stages in the SEC including on the road against Auburn, Texas A&M, LSU, Ole Miss, Alabama and Florida. He's also squared off against teams like Tennessee and South Carolina at home. That experience will go a long way in a relatively inexperienced tight end room. Washington is a legitimate pass catching weapon and has the skillset to be used as an H-Back type of receiver, similar to how Oklahoma used Dimitri Flowers back in 2017. He'll have to get stronger as a blocker, but has shown he can hold his own at times while playing for the Razorbacks.
Barring injury, it's unlikely Washington will emerge as the No. 1 tight end coming out of fall camp, but his usage within the rotation will be key. Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock utilized the tight ends quite a bit in the Blue Gold game; it would have been interesting to see what he would have done with Washington if he were on campus in the spring. Thankfully, he isn't a 'one and done' portal player and will likely be back in South Bend for the spring of 2026.
Right off the bat, he brings experience to the room that is desperately needed. Raridon and Bauman have played on their fair share of national stages, but adding a player like Washington gives you depth and experience to help bring up the younger players in the room like Larsen and true freshman James Flanigan.
Washington's pass catching skillset sets him apart from some of the other tight ends in the room. Raridon has the potential to be an all around player while Bauman and Flanigan may be used primarily as blocking tight ends this season. He and Larsen possess a unique skillset that could hurt opposing teams down field this year. Washington's big game experience and his skillset is what makes him my No. 41 most impactful player for Notre Dame's 2025 season.
No. 42 - Jack Larsen
No. 43 - Cole Mullins
No. 44 - Preston Zinter
No. 45 - James Flanigan
No. 46 - Noah Burnette
No. 47 - Guerby Lambert
No. 48 - Sullivan Absher
No. 49 - Jordan Botelho
No. 50 - Charles Jagusah
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