Cade Cooper picked up an offer from Notre Dame during a visit to campus last Friday, a trip that gave him a clearer sense of how the Irish see him in their offense.
The 2027 Pennsylvania wide receiver arrived in South Bend Friday afternoon and spent time touring Notre Dame with recruiting assistant Justice Bathas before sitting down with wide receivers coach Mike Brown.
“We got there around four,” Cooper said. “Justice Bathas drove my dad and I around and gave us the tour of campus and the facilities. Then we went up and talked to Coach Brown and did a position meeting. He showed me a slideshow and talked about what he’s about and what they see with me in the program.”
Cooper said recently-hired Notre Dame recruiting staffer DJ Bryant was also in the meeting.
“After that, (Brown) offered me,” Cooper added.
Brown outlined a versatile role for the 6-foot-3, 190-pounder within the offense.
“He sees me as an up-top threat, a 50-50 ball catcher, somebody who can move around from the X and the Z and into the slot to create mismatches,” Cooper said. “That’s exactly how I see myself.”
The Malvern Prep standout came away impressed with both the campus and the environment.
“I didn’t realize how small the undergraduate population was,” Cooper said. “They pack out games every week, so I expected it to be bigger, like a Penn State or a Wisconsin. But the campus was really nice.”
The visit also gave Cooper a chance to reconnect with familiar faces from Pennsylvania; Notre Dame early enrollees Joey O’Brien, Khary Adams and Grayson McKeogh
“I used to play 7-on-7 with Joey, and we played him and Grayson every year in football,” Cooper said. “That was cool.”
Cooper described Brown as a coach with a clear vision and high standards.
“He knows exactly what he wants out of his team,” Cooper said. “He holds his players to a high standard, and they want to get back to the College Football Playoff.”
His relationship with Bryant is still developing but already grounded in shared connections.
“He used to work at Penn State, so he had heard about me before,” Cooper said. “He also knows my 7-on-7 coach, Torrey Smith. That connection made it easy to talk to him.”
Cooper holds a growing list of Power Four offers, including Penn State, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Pitt, Cincinnati, Duke, Boston College, Maryland, Illinois and Ole Miss among many others.
Notre Dame is now firmly in the mix as he looks ahead to the spring.
The Malvern, Pa., native plans to return to South Bend in the coming months, with discussions around an official visit expected to follow.
“Getting back in the spring is the next step,” Cooper said. “I want to meet Coach (Marcus) Freeman and spend more time on campus.”
Cooper is also looking to visit Penn State, Wisconsin and Ole Miss this spring as he continues to evaluate options.
A general decision timeline is set.
“Definitely in the summer.”
Want the latest scoop on the Fighting Irish? Sign up for our newsletter and become an ISD Premium Subscriber: Sign Up for ISD
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Stepping Stone
