Not even being Tight End U could convince Cooper Terwilliger to choose Notre Dame over Penn State. The 4-star tight end prospect announced his commitment on Monday morning and chose the Nittany Lions over the Fighting Irish and several other Power 4 teams.
Terwilliger's decision to commit to Penn State came after a multi-day visit two weeks ago. Terwilliger, who also attended a junior day session at Penn State in January, and his family traveled to State College to speak with head coach Matt Campbell in depth and also watch offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Taylor Mouser work with his position group and orchestrate the Nittany Lions' offense on the practice field.
"He's an amazing coach and mentor to young men," Terwilliger previously said of Campbell in an interview with Lions247. "Super excited for Penn State football and the Penn State staff. What stands out to me about him is the way he coaches his players, but also connects with them in a personal way."
Notre Dame football loses 4-star tight end Cooper Terwilliger to Penn State
For Notre Dame, it's "win some, lose some." While Terwilliger's commitment came down to Penn State and the Irish, the top player in South Dakota and a Top 15 tight end in the class had analysts believing he was leaning towards Campbell's program for a while.
At least part of the reason the tight end prospect committed to PSU was his long relationship with Campbell. Terwilliger's first-ever offer came from Matt Campbell and Iowa State on April 16, 2024. The new head coach was quick to re-up the offer when he made the jump to the Big Ten school, extending it on December 18, 2025.
The talented prospect also has a long relationship with Mouser, who moved from the Cyclones to the Nittany Lions with Matt Campbell.
"Coach Mouser and I have developed a relationship since my freshman year," Terwilliger said. "He's been out to Pierre many times. I love how he coaches the tight end position and how comfortable his players feel being around him."
Notre Dame will now move on to the "next man up" in the 2027 recruiting class, where the Irish are still among the top-ranked schools in the country.