SIGNED: TE George Takacs

Naples (Fla.) Gulf Coast tight end George Takacs has submitted his National Letter of Intent to Notre Dame.

Rivals: 4.0-star (No. 49 prospect in Florida and No. 15 tight end in the country)
BGI Grade: 4.0-star
Upside Grade: 4.5-star

Takacs is the ninth four-star tight end to sign with Notre Dame since Brian Kelly was hired prior to the 2010 season.

Takacs recorded a 4.87-second 40-yard dash, of 4.47 pro shuttle drill and a 33.3-inch vertical jump at Nike Football’s The Opening Miami Regional on Feb. 26, 2017. That performance earned him an invitation to the The Opening Finals in Beaverton, Ore.

SENIOR SEASON: Caught 23 passes for 207 yards and one touchdown.

JUNIOR SEASON: Hauled in 25 receptions for 265 yards and one touchdown.

SENIOR SEASON (2017)

WR/TE MVP at Rivals Three-Stripe Camp Miami on March 25, 2017
Named to The News Press’ “Big 15” list prior to 2017 season

JUNIOR SEASON (2016)

2016 Florida Athletic Coaches Association 6A All-District First Team

POWER FIVE OFFERS: Arkansas, Auburn, Boston College, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa State, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Missouri, NC State, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, UCF, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Takacs committed to Notre Dame June 14, following a second unofficial visit to South Bend. The Sunshine State talent chose the Irish over Florida, Georgia and Wisconsin, and was primarily recruited by offensive coordinator Chip Long and running backs coach Autry Denson.

• Born March 30, 1999.
• Lived on campus at Notre Dame while his mother pursued a master’s degree.
• His family is originally from Fort Wayne, Ind.

Notre Dame is set to return four tight ends that played in 2017, so the competition for playing time will be fierce. Expect Takacs to redshirt as a freshman barring injuries to veteran players at the position.

“Takacs is a traditional tight end that has a body and skill set that reminds me of former Notre Dame standout Troy Niklas. He has always had a massive frame, but as a senior he started to fill it out. At 6-7, he has the length to impact the pass game, but he became an even more effective blocker as a senior.

“He competes as a blocker, driving his feet well and using his strength to get the job done. Obviously, he’ll need to get stronger to handle the edge as a college player, but he got closer to that as a senior. Takacs still needs to learn to bend his knees in the run game better than he does now. The Gulf Coast tight end is a quality athlete that posted a 4.87 at The Opening and had a 33.3-inch vertical jump, which are impressive numbers for his size.

“He lumbers a bit as a runner, but he covers a lot of ground. Takacs mostly works the underneath zones, but he can stretch the field and uses his size to out-play defenders for the ball. He needs a lot of work from a technique standpoint, but there are all the tools to have a career that matches that of Niklas.” — BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell

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