When Ian Premer arrived at Notre Dame, some people whispered that he might be able to do for the Irish what Ty Warren did at Penn State.
Of course, to do what Warren did with the Nittany Lions, he'll eventually need to catch a pass. So far, the freshman tight end hasn’t checked that box yet. Despite not being an impact player on offense yet, head coach Marcus Freeman isn’t worried. He’s been quite impressed with Premer so far and went out of his way to tell the media on Thursday during his weekly Zoom call.
“I think Ian is a guy that is continuing to earn more,” Freeman said. “He’s starting to get more reps on special teams. He’s really building trust in the offensive staff to utilize him when the right opportunity presents itself. You know, it’s a pretty deep tight ends room.”
Freeman’s explanation that the room has plenty of talent is absolutely the best reason why Premer hasn’t played on offense for Notre Dame. It’s also why people who expected him to make a massive impact as a freshman were more than likely ignoring the reality of the situation. Even with Premer’s … premier talent, the Golden Domers still aren’t hurting for players at the position.
Ian Premer could give Notre Dame football vertical threat missing from tight end room
The two tight ends who have gotten the most run so far are senior Cooper Flanagan (161 snaps) and sophomore James Flanigan at 86 snaps. Granted, it’s early, and Notre Dame has still played just four games, but while Freeman is nonchalant about the tight end position, the production hasn’t been there yet.
Among the six players in the room, they have just 9 catches. Flanagan leads the group with 5 receptions for 44 yards. He has two touchdowns among those 5 catches. However, the tight end room is still on pace for its lowest tight end production since 2016, and the offense needs a vertical threat at the position. Last year, that vertical option came from New England Patriots rookie Eli Raridon.
Premer absolutely has the ability to stretch the field exactly how Notre Dame wants. As a former wide receiver-turned-tight end, Premer tallied 40 receptions, 734 receiving yards, and 14 receiving TDs at Great Bend High in 2025. The 6-foot-6 athlete showed he can do it all, rushing for more than 600 yards and recording nearly 60 tackles, along with numerous interceptions.
At some point, even if the law firm of Flanagan & Flanigan shows the most understanding of the offense and the ability to execute every play, Premer might need his own package to show his stuff on the field.
Premer’s most likely path to more playing time is to jump TE3, Ty Washington. That’s easier said than done, considering Notre Dame loves his blocking ability. For now, it’s clear Freeman believes the status quo is good enough: “I love the way he goes to work every day, his attitude. He’s making our team better. And it might not be in ways that the media and the normal person watching a game can see, but everybody in this program knows that Ian Premer is making our entire program better and he is continuously improving himself as a player.”
The question now is whether Premer can convince the coaches he will improve the passing attack if he becomes part of the Notre Dame offense.
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