Notre Dame Still Holds Special Spot For 2026 DL Dominic Funke

June was a busy month for Dominic Funke‍ as the 2026 Massachusetts defensive end made camp stops at schools on the East Coast – UConn, Wake Forest, Duke and North Carolina – the Midwest – Notre Dame and Michigan – and the West Coast – Oregon and Stanford.

“We've pretty busy, yeah, but it was all worth it,” says Funke.

“It's been cool just to see places I've never seen before. I'm just trying to enjoy the opportunity right now and use what's been going on for me to see the country, see schools, and find out what I want in a college.”

Funke, who had already made multiple trips to South Bend within the last year, was back at Notre Dame for the Irish’s Lineman’s Challenge on June 3rd.

“It went well,” the St. Sebastian’s School standout says. “I think I did pretty well.

“It was great working with Coach (Al) Washington. I always love getting out and seeing him again. It's always great to see Notre Dame again. I love that school and it's great to see the coaching staff too.

Washington is one of Funke’s favorite coaches.

“I love his high energy and how in-depth he is,” Funke says. “I know he just wants you to be better, but he is not negative about it. He seems like he's a great coach who really wants the best for his players.”

Funke has early offers from schools Boston College, Wisconsin, Pitt, Rutgers and Temple. He received positive feedback from Washington following the camp.

“I've just got to keep doing my thing,” he says. “He likes the way I move, the way I play and just wants me to keep getting bigger, stronger and just keep playing and doing my thing.”

The Irish certainly seem interested in Funke. Assistant Joe Rudolph made a stop at St. Sebastian’s during May’s Massachusetts Showcase.

“It was good to see him there,” Funke says of Rudolph. “They seem to be pretty interested in me.

“They've had me out four times in like a year, so I think that's a good sign. I think they like the way I play. They just want to see how I grow and how big I'll be once I get to that senior year and get to Notre Dame.

“I'll stay in contact with Coach Wash and maybe get out to a game and just keep sending him my highlight tapes and just keep in contact and keep growing that relationship and see what comes of it.”

The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder is certainly interested in the Irish.

“I've always liked Notre Dame since I was a little kid, but as I've grown older, I kind of placed an importance on academics as well as football,” he says. “I feel like Notre Dame is one of the best schools in the country for getting a good degree as well as playing Championship/Top 25 football consistently every year.”

Given Funke’s priorities, it’s no surprise what other schools stuck out to him during his spring tour.

“It was great to see schools like Wake Forest and Duke and Stanford,” he says. “Those are all three very high academic schools too. And all three have really gorgeous campuses too. It's cool to see these different schools. I would never know what they look like and would never take a visit out to.”

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