The Notre Dame football team has officially locked down its 2026 class with the signatures of quarterback Teddy Jarrard and kicker Micah Drescher. Now the Fighting Irish is officially turning its attention to the 2027 cycle and 4-star studs like Cade Cooper.
Cooper is a big-time wide receiver out of Pennsylvania who recently got an offer from the Irish. He made it clear he was pretty excited about Marcus Freeman and his staff coming calling.
"It’s definitely a big offer for me," Cooper told On3's Mike Singer. He got the offer when he visited the Notre Dame campus, and it looks like the Irish did a heck of a job selling him on how good a fit he would be under wide receiver coach Mike Brown's tutelage.
Four-star WR Cade Cooper stopped by Notre Dame on Friday and left campus with an offer from the Irish ‼️☘️
— Mike Singer (@MikeTSinger) February 1, 2026
“It’s definitely a big offer for me.”
Story: https://t.co/Ahy6hYOFKV pic.twitter.com/7oWQd6wYZq
How Notre Dame football is positioning itself early in Cade Cooper’s recruitment
Cooper also enjoyed connecting with guys he knows from Pennsylvania who are now on the Fighting Irish. Joey O'Brien had a nice reunion with the wide receiver during the visit.
"I used to play 7-on-7 with Joey, and we played him and Grayson [McKeogh] every year in football," Cooper told Irish Sports Daily. "That was cool."
Cooper stands at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, despite not yet being a senior. He's got room to grow both in height and as a receiver. His plus length and raw explosiveness have the tools that are obviously very attractive to Brown, though he's still got some polishing to be done.
Of course, before Brown gets the chance to do that, Notre Dame will have to fight off other power schools coming after Cooper. He's got offers from programs like Penn State, Illinois, Kentucky, Syracuse, Ole Miss, and many, many others.
He's considered the No. 14 player in Pennsylvania and the No. 21 athlete in the class, while he's the No. 358 player in 2027 according to 247Sports. Rivals has him as the No. 50 wide receiver and, oddly enough, the same ranking on that site's industry rankings.
In his junior season, Cooper turned in an impressive season for Malvern Prep. He managed to haul in 44 receptions for 644 yards and 6 touchdowns, boasting an average of 14.6 yards per reception.
There's a long way to go before Notre Dame comes close to getting a commitment from Cade Cooper. Still, his friendship with Joey O'Brien and his genuine enthusiasm for the Fighting Irish are significant steps in the right direction.