Notre Dame Made Evan Jacobson Feel Like A Priority During Official Visit originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Notre Dame has a rich history of high-level tight end production and that was something that stayed on the mind of tight end Evan Jacobson during his recent visit to campus.
The Waukee (Iowa) High School pass catching tight end visited South Bend on April 4 and raved about how offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock and coach Hunter Bivin worked with the tight end group during practice. Denbrock has consistently made Jacobson feel like a priority by expressing how excited they are about him and how important he is to the 2026 recruiting class. Those sentiments were reinforced during the visit.
“The visit was great,” Jacobson told Irish Breakdown. “It’s always great being around both of them. They always make me feel like a priority and I know there’s a chance to play early.”
The Iowa prep star originally planned his official visit to South Bend for the weekend of June 20-22 but chose to move the visit up to June 13-15. This allowed him to be on campus at the same time as fellow 2026 tight end recruit Preston Fryzel of Toledo (Ohio) Central Catholic and the two of them instantly found a connection.
“It was great meeting him (Preston Fryzel),” Jacobson said. “We hit it off right away and hung out most of the time. All of us got along and got to know each other for the most part.”
The camaraderie of the weekend was a sticking point for how great of a time Jacobson and his family had on the visit. The coaches were able to make him feel comfortable on previous visits, but the level of comfort amongst the recruits and families stood out. Another level of comfort came from two conversations with head coach Marcus Freeman. The first was 1-on-1, and the other took place midfield of Notre Dame Stadium with all of the recruits.
“We didn’t know what was going on,” Jacobson detailed. “It was pretty sick though, getting to run out of the tunnel with the song was a great experience. I’ll always remember that.
“Coach Freeman told me to enjoy the process,” Jacobson continued. “He told me I was a great fit for what they want to do offensively and that I’m important. Then he hyped us up and gave us a nice speech on the field.”
One of the best things the Fighting Irish staff did with this group of official visitors was matching personalities. The blend created a family-type atmosphere that allowed the commits and recruits to see why they fit in at a school like Notre Dame.
“Everybody got along” Jacobson explained. “The commits were working on us, but in a fun way. I felt comfortable and had a great time.”
After an upcoming official visit to Iowa State, the two-sport athlete will take some time to sort everything out with family and coaches. He’s already visited Missouri, Texas A&M and Stanford and is looking for a decision to come sometime in July.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.