Notre Dame’s tight end room is heading into 2026 with more questions than usual, and Ty Washington has a real chance to be part of the answer.
The former Arkansas transfer arrived in South Bend before the 2025 season and spent last fall carving out a clear job: helping the Irish in the run game. Now, with year two in the system ahead of him, Washington is trying to turn that role into something bigger in his final season.
Washington’s 2025 numbers won’t jump off the page - 5 catches for 34 yards and a touchdown - but his value showed up in the trenches. He played in all 12 regular-season games and logged 244 snaps, with 155 of them coming as a run blocker and 33 as a pass blocker, according to Pro Football Focus. His lone Notre Dame touchdown came at home against Navy in the second half, and it was his first score in an Irish uniform.
The 6-4, 253-pound Georgia native also looked different this spring. He reshaped his body during winter workouts and showed more explosiveness and nimbleness, a development that stood out as Notre Dame worked through a spring with its starting quarterback and offensive coordinator back in place. That momentum matters, because the tight end group is expected to be much deeper once the calendar turns to late July and August.
That depth is exactly why Washington still has work to do. Young tight ends are pushing up the depth chart, and redshirt junior Cooper Flanagan is back to full health. Washington’s experience gives him an edge, but he’ll still have to fight for his place in the rotation over the rest of the offseason.
The good news for Notre Dame is that Washington already fits a need. He’s proven he can handle the dirty work as a blocker, and there’s still room for him to grow as a receiver.
In 2023 at Arkansas, he had a breakout game against ranked Ole Miss on the road, catching seven passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns. That kind of production is the ceiling Notre Dame will be watching for if he can translate more of his pass-catching ability into this offense.
At minimum, Washington should be part of the 2026 rotation. The bigger question is how much of a role he earns.
He looks like a strong candidate to help in the run game, and he could also find work in the red zone. He’s in the mix for the No. 2 tight end spot and could be the first option off the bench when Notre Dame goes 12 personnel.
For Washington, a strong season would mean doing both jobs well: staying reliable as a run blocker while becoming a more consistent threat in the passing game.
In Other News...
Cooper Flanagan Might Finally Be Notre Dame's Tight End Answer
Cooper Flanagan is back on the field and back in the conversation for Notre Dame, and the timing matters. The redshirt junior tight end has long looked like a natural fit for the Fighting Irishs offense because of what he brings as a blocker, and with a healthy offseason ahead of him, he enters 2026 as the leading candidate to take over the starting job at tight end.
For Notre Dame, the appeal is obvious: a dependable presence in the run game who can help stabilize a position that has searched for a clear answer. The question now is whether Flanagan can stay on the field and take the next step as a receiver, because the Irish do not just need a tight end who can seal the edge. They need one who can become a real part of the passing attack, and fall camp will go a long way toward showing whether he is ready to do that. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dames Defensive Reload Carries One Huge Question Into 2025
Notre Dame spent the offseason reinforcing the defense the way contenders often do, by adding bodies with real pedigree and letting the competition sort itself out. The Irish dipped into the transfer portal for help on the line and in the secondary, bringing in Tionne Gray from Oregon, Francis Brewu from Pitt, Keon Keeley from Alabama, DJ McKinney from Colorado and Jayden Sanders from Michigan to deepen a unit that has been central to the programs identity.
The additions give Notre Dame more options and more pressure points across the roster, but they also sharpen the one question that hangs over every reload: who turns those new pieces into reliable starters when the games start to matter? Gray, Brewu and Keeley all arrive with the chance to push for bigger roles up front, while McKinney and Sanders add flexibility behind them, leaving the Irish with enviable depth and a competition that still has to settle itself. [Read more 🡒]