Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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36 MARCH 2021 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2021 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY MASON PLUMMER Heading into February 2020, Mitchell Evans had no offers. Evans started as a quarterback, but grew nearly 12 inches between his freshman and junior years of high school. As a result, he made the move to tight end and started catching passes instead of throwing them. He was expected to be tall because of his gene pool, but he had to wait a bit for his growth spurt to come. Adam Evans, Mitchell's father, was a star college football player himself at both Penn and Kent State. Jodie Evans, Mitchell's mother, played vol- leyball at Akron. Now, both Mitchell and his sister Kacie are playing Division I athletics at the highest level at Notre Dame and Georgia, respectively. Kacie, a sophomore on the Bulldogs' volley- ball team, started 28 of 29 matches on her way to being named the SEC Freshman of the Year. Mitchell — a multi-sport athlete at Wadsworth (Ohio) High — has huge shoes to fill, but is ready to make a name for himself. "I never actually played vol- leyball, but it's huge in my fam- ily," Evans said. "It is fun to play, and I love watching my sister play. I think the volleyball gene skipped right through me. "I am big on basketball and football, but football was always the sport I loved the most." Evans played two seasons of basketball at Wadsworth before suffering injuries that forced him to rethink his future on the bas- ketball court. Many underestimate Evans' speed due to his 6-7, 240-pound frame that looks like more of a fit for basketball, volleyball or the offensive line. He has proven time and time again, though, that he can use his height to his advantage and cause problems for the opposition. During Evans' high school se- nior season, he may have been the tallest quarterback in the country. The season began with the Irish signee at tight end, but the coaches at Wadsworth felt that mov- ing Evans to quarterback gave the Grizzlies the best chance to win. On the season, Evans threw for 2,132 yards and 23 touchdowns, proving himself to be more versatile than even he thought. The Ohio native knows his po- sition at Notre Dame will be tight end, however, and that thought will give opposing defensive coordina- tors many sleepless nights. Evans can win 50-50 balls with ease in the end zone and can run routes like a wide receiver. Not to mention his blocking ability, which may tip him to play early on for the Irish. "I just can't wait to get there and show what I can do," Evans said. "Notre Dame is 'Tight End Univer- sity,' and I want to be the next great one." While there are many ways to be a matchup nightmare, Evans may have the best of the bunch. He is only going to get bigger, faster and stron- ger at Notre Dame, where he has the chance to become the next star in the long line of premier tight ends. If Evans reaches his goals in South Bend, he has a family of collegiate athletes to thank. ✦ MITCHELL EVANS TIGHT END 6-7 · 240 WADSWORTH H.S. WADSWORTH, OHIO RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — 26 18 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 12 16 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 22 20 STATISTICS • Played quarterback as a senior and completed 163 of 299 (54.5 percent) passes for 2,131 yards with 25 touchdowns and six interceptions. Also added 88 rushes for 400 yards and six scores. • Caught 19 passes for 306 yards and seven touchdowns, plus had three rushes for 61 yards and a score, during his junior season in 2019. NOTABLE • Born on March 18, 2003. • 2020 Ohio Division-II first-team punter. • 2020 Ohio MaxPreps All-State high school second-team punter. • 2020 Preseason Ohio All-State high school second-team offense. • 2019 Medina County Gazette honorable men- tion (tight end) selection. • Four-year Suburban League Scholar Athlete. • Also played basketball in high school. • His older sister Kacie plays volleyball at Georgia. • His mother, Jodi, played volleyball at Akron, and his father, Adam, played football at Kent State. RECRUITMENT • Earned an offer from Notre Dame on June 30, 2020 and announced his commitment on July 31, 2020. • Also held offers from Boston College, Cincin- nati, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Harvard, Louis- ville and Pittsburgh. • Recruited by Notre Dame tight ends coach John McNulty. • Enrolled at Notre Dame in February. 2021 PROJECTION • Evans is likely to redshirt as a true freshman in 2021. THEY SAID IT Wadsworth head coach Justin Todd: "I have never had anybody that big play the quarterback position for me. Before Mitch, the tallest quarter- back I ever had was probably 6-0. It was certainly different. He's bigger than most offensive line- men and defensive linemen. "He is just a big, talented athlete. I think it's possible Mitch moves to the offensive line in a few years. Although, it is also a matchup night- mare to have a 6-7, 240-pounder at tight end that can run like the wind." National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming: "He could wind up playing tackle and certainly has the frame to gain another 40 to 50 pounds. He is a good in-line blocker, keeps his feet moving, can catch anything within his frame and shows surprising quickness for someone his size. Still developing, but he certainly has a bright future." Mitchell Evans Aims To Be The Next Great Irish Tight End The 6-7, 240-pound Evans stepped in at quarterback for Wadsworth (Ohio) High during his senior season, but is looking forward to carrying on Notre Dame's "Tight End U." tradition. PHOTO COURTESY WADSWORTH HIGH SCHOOL