Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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30 APRIL 2022 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED ALL EYES ON … JUNIOR KEVIN BAUMAN Bauman fractured his foot in the season opener last fall, which was a tough loss for Notre Dame consider- ing how well he played in fall camp. With the departure of George Takacs for Boston Col- lege, Bauman has a chance to put 2021's frustrating circum- stances behind him and become the No. 2 option behind junior sensation Michael Mayer. PERSONNEL UPDATE Position Coach: Gerad Parker (1st season) Returning Starter: Michael Mayer (15 career starts) Departing Starter: George Takacs (5 starts in two-TE sets, transferred to Boston College) Projected New Starter (for two-TE sets): Sophomore Mitchell Evans Also Back: Junior Kevin Bauman and sopho- more Cane Berrong New Faces: Freshmen Holden Staes and Eli Raridon (both arrive in the summer) N otre Dame hired Gerad Parker as tight ends coach and handed him the keys to a Maserati. Junior Michael Mayer isn't just Notre Dame's best mismatch problem and 2021 receptions leader with 71. He has a claim to the title of college football's best tight end. No disrespect to Parker, but Mayer could have a toddler as his position coach and not suffer from it. Parker's job isn't all breezy, though. Notre Dame has an opening at No. 2 tight end following George Takacs' transfer to Boston College. The Irish have five schol- arship tight ends behind Mayer, but only two are available this spring. Fresh- men Holden Staes and Eli Raridon won't arrive until June. Sophomore Cane Berrong (ACL surgery) won't practice. That leaves junior Kevin Bauman and sophomore Mitchell Evans, two intriguing options based on small- sample playing time and camp showings last year. Bauman impressed behind the scenes in 2020 fall camp and shined in open practices prior to last season, but broke his leg in the opener and never regained traction. Evans, a 6-5, 250-pound for- mer high school quarterback, slid in as the No. 3 tight end and flashed as a blocker and receiver in 113 snaps. A battle for a backup job sounds minor, but it has short- and long-term significance. Notre Dame's offense has used the No. 2 tight end for at least 350 snaps in re- TIGHT ENDS NUMBERS TO KNOW 3 Targets for returning tight ends other than junior Michael Mayer in 2021. Sophomore Mitchell Evans had two with two receptions for 21 yards, while junior Kevin Bauman had one with one catch for 10 yards. Last year's No. 2 tight end, George Takacs, had four targets and three recep- tions for 36 yards. 15 Explosive plays — receptions of 15 or more yards — in the slot or out wide for Mayer were tied for the most in the FBS by a tight end during the 2021 season, per Pro Football Focus. He finished with 840 receiving yards and an average of 11.8 yards per catch. 52 Receptions by Mayer last year resulted in either a first down (a team-high 45) or a touchdown (tied for the team lead with seven) — the most by any pass catcher on the Irish roster, per PFF. POSITION BATTLE TO WATCH WHO BACKS UP MAYER? The starter is solidified. It's an open competition between three players behind Mayer. Will it be Bauman, the oldest of the bunch? Or will it be one of the two rising sophomores, Mitchell Evans or Cane Berrong? Evans brings the most 2021 experience to the table, but he has far from penned in his name in ink next to Mayer's as a top-two tight end. This is a free-flowing battle for the No. 2 spot. 2022 SPRING FOOTBALL OVERVIEW cent seasons. The Irish will also likely need a new starter in 2023 to replace Mayer. Evans or Bauman can make an early claim to that role with a strong 2022 season and ease concerns about a drop-off. Parker's immediate task is getting one of them ready to be the next face of "Tight End U" while sup- plementing the current one. "I'll get judged the most or criti- cized the most for how the rest of the room progresses and how the rest of the room is built," Parker said. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER MICHAEL MAYER