Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2020 45 2020 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE standing in the path of an approach- ing Native American activist. The video caused outrage from both sides of the political spectrum, but what's often lost from the na- tional incident is that it vilified Cov- ington Catholic students to much of the outside world, giving Mayer and his fellow high school classmates, even the ones not in Washington, D.C., firsthand experience at what it's like to be polarized by the media. Mayer says it brought his school and community closer together. Another silver lining is this inci- dent should serve Mayer well as he works to meet expectations and be- comes more recognizable within the national college football landscape. "We talked about that as a football team," Eviston said. "Even without the incident that went on, it's some- thing that anytime you're successful, you've got a little bit bigger micro- scope on you. People are waiting to see you fail, unfortunately. "That's just the society's natural progression — when people were on the rise, they want to see them fall." To get away from the outside noise, one of Mayer's favorite hobbies is fish- ing. He has several preferred spots in Park Hills, many of which are within walking distance from his home. There also were opportunities for him to bond with his teammates through fishing. On team retreats, Eviston would take the players to a farm or a park and, during their down- time, Mayer and some of the others would have the opportunity to fish. "It's a competition, trying to catch the fish and trying to know what bait to use, where to go fishing and what spots to use," Mayer said. "It's a battle between us and the fish, and that feeling once you get a fish on the hook is awesome." He also enjoys golfing, which could help him fit in right away with several of Notre Dame's offensive linemen. What should benefit Mayer and his development the most as he makes the move from high school to college is he will need to focus on only one side of the ball. While he was a premier high school tight end, Mayer had an even greater impact on defense. "Part of me says if he wasn't a tight end, if we didn't play him on the of- fensive side, I'd be interested to see if he's not at an All-American as a linebacker," Eviston said. "He was that good at that position as well. He was very valuable to us. Michael was the defensive general." It was actually to the point that Mayer never came off the field de- fensively, but Eviston could afford to give him a breather on offense every now and then. The first time in his life Mayer didn't play both ways was in the All- American Bowl. One might assume that he had the itch to run onto the field and play linebacker for a se- ries or two, but Mayer said he's done with defense and is ready for his sole focus to be tight end. Will that lead to him developing into the next Gronkowski? Time will tell, but Fighting Irish faithful are itching for yet another elite Notre Dame tight end, and Mayer is considered the heir apparent to Ru- dolph, Eifert, Kmet and so many oth- ers. But if he truly becomes the next "Gronk," he will have even outdone those who came before him. ✦ Following the conclusion of his senior season, Mayer was bumped up to a five-star rating at tight end and the No. 23 player overall nationally by 247Sports. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM MICHAEL MAYER TIGHT END 6-5 · 234 COVINGTON CATHOLIC INDEPENDENCE, KY. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 36 3 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 81 3 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 23 2 1 STATISTICS • Recorded 49 receptions for 970 yards and 15 touchdowns, plus had two rushing scores, as a senior. Defensively, he posted 102.5 tackles, 1.5 sacks and four interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown. • Helped Covington Catholic to a Kentucky 5A state championship in 2019 and was named the MVP of the title game. NOTABLE • Born on July 6, 2001 • 2019 Kentucky Football Coaches Association Mr. Football • 2019 Gatorade Kentucky Player of the Year • 2019 MaxPreps All-American second-team offense • 2019 USA TODAY All-USA second-team of- fense • 2019 MaxPreps Kentucky All-State Football Team • 2019 Courier Journal All-State Football Team ALL-STAR GAMES • Caught one pass for 39 yards and a touchdown in the All-American Bowl Jan. 4 in San Antonio RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on July 1, 2018. • Landed an offer from the Fighting Irish on Dec. 22, 2017. • Held offers from the likes of Alabama, Geor- gia, LSU, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and others. • Officially visited Notre Dame for the USC game on Oct. 12, 2019. • Was recruited by former offensive coordina- tor Chip Long, but did not waver in his decision despite Long's departure from the program. 2020 PROJECTION • Cole Kmet entering the NFL Draft allows Mayer to have an excellent chance to break into the tight end rotation as a true freshman. Look for him to see plenty of time on the field this fall. THEY SAID IT Opposing head coach Brian Weinrich at High- lands High: "Michael Mayer is one of the best football players I've ever seen. Every team knows he's going to get the ball and no one can stop him. He's just as dominant, if not more dominant, on the defensive side of the ball." Notre Dame defensive line coach Mike Elston: "He's a champion, a competitor, an all- around great athlete and obviously an incredible individual." National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming: "He already looks like an NFL player. He can do it all. He's a terrific perimeter blocker who catches ev- erything within his reach and can gain separation after the catch. There's not much more you can ask for in a tight end. He's very aggressive at the point of attack, and he will go up and snatch the ball away from just about any DB. He presents a very large target and brought his game up to the five-star level."