South Bend, Ind. – Notre Dame tight end Anthony Fasano is moving his way up some impressive lists.
He’s fourth on Notre Dame’s all-time list for receptions by a tight end, and seventh in career yards among Irish tight ends. And coach Charlie Weis, who has coached some outstanding tight ends, such as Mark Bavaro and Ben Coates, thinks Fasano might be added to his list of best tight ends he has been around.
“He can run. He can catch. He can block,” Weis said.
The 6-foot-4, 257-pound senior from Verona, N.J., leads the Irish with 15 catches through three games, moving past Bavaro on Saturday with 60 career receptions. He needs three more to move into second place behind Ken MacAfee, who is far ahead with 128 career catches.
Fasano had seven catches for 93 yards last week against Michigan State, including catches of 19 yards and 24 yards.
“I’ve coached a lot of tight ends at the level higher than this, and there aren’t very many of them that can do all the things that he can do,” Weis said. “I’ve had guys that are better blockers. I’ve had guys that could run better. I’ve had guys that were better receivers. But I’ve had very few that could do everything.”
Despite the praise, Fasano said the coaches still find things to critique.
“It’s just opened my eyes to some things I didn’t even really know. I’ve got a ways to go still,” he said.
Quarterback Brady Quinn said the Irish aren’t calling that many more plays for the tight end, but that Fasano is getting open more.
“He’s a big, athletic player. He has great hands,” Quinn said.
“He’s a smart player, so he knows how to read defenses and find soft spots. He’s the type of player that’s able to make plays whenever we need them.”
Pass catching has always come naturally to Fasano – it’s the blocking he’s had to work at more. His biggest concern now, though, is doing everything well consistently.
“I think I have the tools to block and block well and run routes and catch with anybody, but I think just putting it all together every Saturday is what I need to work on,” he said.
Fasano had a breakout game last season against Purdue, making eight catches for 155 yards. To put that in perspective, in Bob Davie’s final season as coach in 2001, Notre Dame tight ends had a total of eight catches for 129 yards.
Last season, Fasano finished second on the team with 27 catches, well behind Rhema McKnight with 42. But he figures to get the ball even more often under Weis’ tight end-friendly offense.
“For the type of player I am, it’s awesome,” Fasano said.
It’s early, but Fasano could challenge MacAfee’s single-season school record of 54 catches in a season, although he said he doesn’t think about such accomplishments.
Weis has no doubt Fasano will some day play in the NFL.
“I can’t tell you how many times you sit in a draft room and people say, ‘What kind of tight end is he?’ There’s very few guys that can block and catch. There aren’t that many of them. You just look around the NFL today and tell me how many of them can both block and catch. You can count them on one hand, the ones that can do both,” he said.
Just don’t ask Weis whether Fasano, who didn’t play as a freshman, will be ready for the NFL next season.
“I can’t even believe you’d ask that question,” Weis said when asked at a news conference, drawing laughter from reporters.
For his part, Fasano isn’t thinking that far ahead, either.
“Concerning myself with after the season isn’t benefiting me or the team at all at this point, so I’m going to sit down with him and my family and just make the best decision for me,” Fasano said.
For now, Fasano is focused on getting better.
“I have so much room for improvement,” he said.
