February 14th, and while the world was out here posting their soulmates and Valentine’s Day flexes, Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame were plotting—silently, strategically, and with one goal in mind: to never get played like they did with Deuce Knight again. The Fighting Irish were this close to winning a national championship. But the pain of that final loss had the biggest bruise on their ego. And the next honor goes to Deuce Knight’s sudden flip to Auburn. A gut punch that still stings in South Bend. But instead of crying over spilled milk, Marcus Freeman and his staff are moving in silence, stacking up talent and recalibrating their recruiting approach—because one thing’s for sure: they’re not getting caught slipping twice.
Notre Dame ain’t just another school when it comes to tight ends—it’s Tight End U, plain and simple. Year after year, the Irish crank out some of the best talent in the game. Feeding the NFL a steady diet of elite big men who can block, catch, and truck defenders like it’s nothing. Kyle Rudolph, Tyler Eifert, Cole Kmet, Michael Mayer—the list goes on.
That tradition isn’t stopping anytime soon, and Notre Dame insider Mike Singer made it clear on the Notre Dame Football on Blue and Gold podcast. When asked about the 2026 tight-end class, Singer didn’t just spill the tea—he dumped the whole damn kettle. “I just want to run through these guys real quick,” he said before rattling off the names: Ian Premer, Mack Sutter, Evan Jacobson, Isaac Jensen, and now a reemerging name, JC Anderson.
These dudes are all cut from the same cloth—6’5” or taller, multi-sport athletes, and straight-up freaks on the field. Premer, out of Kansas, literally ranked No. 47 overall. Sutter, from Illinois, sits at No. 110. Jacobson, another Midwest kid, ranks 255th nationally, while Jensen—though a three-star prospect right now—has all the physical tools to explode in rankings.
Anderson, a 6’6”, 230-pound hooper out of Illinois, has locked in an official visit to South Bend. What’s the game plan? Freeman and his staff want two of these monsters to anchor the future of the Irish offense. And let’s be real, they’ll probably get them—because Tight End U recruits itself.
Dec 20, 2024; Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman leads the team onto the field before a first round playoff game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
If you think Notre Dame’s QB room is going to sit around and sulk about Deuce Knight dipping to Auburn, you’ve got another thing coming. The Irish are being way more methodical this time around. And it all starts with a Pot of Gold Day—the recruiting blitz where they officially send out offers to their top 2027 prospects.
Notre Dame’s QB coach, Gino Guidugli, isn’t wasting time. He’s been grinding, scouting, and lining up the next wave of talent. One name to watch? Malachi Zeigler. The Louisiana standout is ranked No. 32 overall and the No. 5 QB in his class. At 6’3”, 195 pounds, the kid’s got that five-star juice—and Notre Dame knows they can’t fumble this one. “Zeigler told me that he is scheduled to visit Notre Dame March 27th and 28th, so I would expect Notre Dame to offer between two and four quarterbacks—maybe even five,” Singer added.
Zeigler himself confirmed that he’s been in close contact with Guidugli, and they’ve already built a solid rapport. “I was messaging Zeigler a couple nights ago—he told me he’s really enjoyed his conversations with Guidugli. He got to see Guidugli last spring at his high school,” Singer noted.
While an official offer hasn’t dropped yet, Zeigler’s upcoming visit to South Bend isn’t just for fun. If Notre Dame pulls the trigger, it’s because they see a real shot at locking him in—and this time, they’re making every move count.
The Deuce Knight debacle: never again
Deuce Knight was supposed to be that guy for Notre Dame—the future, the dream, the next dynamic playmaker to take the Irish offense to new heights. But dreams don’t always come true, and reality hit hard when the 6’5” dual-threat QB flipped to Auburn last October.
It wasn’t just a loss; it was a statement. Notre Dame had bet big on a Southern quarterback with no deep Midwest ties and an already stacked QB room a bit too early. And in the end, SEC gravity pulled him back home. Auburn, desperate for a future star, snatched him up, skyrocketing their recruiting class to No. 3 in the nation while Notre Dame dropped to No. 13. And now, Knight has already enrolled at Auburn, battling it out with Jackson Arnold and Ashton Daniels for the starting job.
Darin Prichett asked about learning from the Deuce Knight situation: “I wonder, are they readjusting, or are they learning from the whole Deuce Knight experience? Those two things totally separate. Are they a little more patient because of what happened in the last cycle?” Mike Singer doubled it down, “In general, yes, okay, but I think that it’s not just a Deuce thing. There were several decommitments in the 2025 class for the Irish. You know, I think they took some guys early, and they’re like—you know. I think Notre Dame knew in the back of their head it was probably like a 50-50 shot that some of these guys would even stick. So I think Notre Dame is avoiding pushing for early commitments with some players, obviously.”
Marcus Freeman and his staff are making damn sure history doesn’t repeat itself. The Irish are being more cautious. They’re moving with a calculated approach with their 2027 QB targets, refusing to rush into commitments that might not stick. They’re prioritizing relationships, long-term fits, and making sure their next big-time QB actually wants to be in South Bend for the long haul.
Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame got played last cycle—but they’re flipping the script this time. The 2026 tight-end class is already shaping up to be elite, with five top-tier prospects in the mix. Meanwhile, the 2027 QB strategy is shifting gears, prioritizing calculated moves over flashy early commitments. The Irish know they’re right on the edge of greatness. They nearly won it all last season, and they’re making sure that next time, they finna close the deal.
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