Jack McNamara returned to Notre Dame this weekend looking to build on an already strong foundation and came away with an even better feel for the program.
The 2028 Illinois tight end has been around campus multiple times over the years, but this visit provided a deeper look at how Notre Dame operates day to day.
“I had a great visit,” McNamara told Irish Sports Daily. “They had a meeting with Marcus Freeman with all the recruits there. He talked about the culture of the program and how it speaks for itself and higher education.”
The 6-foot-5, 235-pounder spent time with Freeman, offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock and assistant tight ends coach Harris Bivin throughout the visit.
“I went through pre-practice with the tight ends and then watched practice,” he said. “Then after that, I had a campus tour. I had a one-on-one talk with Coach Denbrock and had a one-on-one talk with Coach Bivin.”
McNamara also got an up-close look at practice, which stood out for its tempo and competitiveness.
“Practice was very fun to watch,” he said. “It was very intense.
“It was just fun to watch. Everyone seemed like they were having a good time, giving a lot of effort and did not look like it was their second practice.”
Notre Dame has made McNamara a priority early in the 2028 cycle and Denbrock reinforced that.
“He was talking about how he thinks Notre Dame is the place for me and all the great things it has to offer for me if I were to go there,” he said. “They recruit tight ends like me, who play like me. I'm exactly what they're looking for.”
That message resonated.
“It means a lot,” he said. “It makes me feel special and makes me feel like a big recruit to them.”
The Brother Rice product continued to build on his understanding of how Notre Dame develops tight ends during his time with the staff.
“We went in depth,” he said. “He showed me what that would look like and took me through some film on past tight ends at Notre Dame, how they use them and drills they do to improve.”
The Chicago native also came away impressed with the people inside the program.
“They're great people and they're just trying to make everyone there better, both on the field and as people,” he said.
McNamara currently holds offers from Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, Texas, Texas A&M, Oregon, Tennessee, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Illinois among others.
He is in the middle of a busy spring schedule.
He is set to visit Arizona State, Michigan, Ohio State, Northwestern and Oklahoma over the coming weeks.
As a 2028 prospect, he is taking a measured approach.
“Continue to build the relationships,” he said. “I'm going to finish all my spring visits and then we'll see where that takes me.”
This visit only added to Notre Dame’s standing as he looks ahead to future trips.
“My feelings are very high about Notre Dame after the visit. I had a great time and I can’t wait to get back.”
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