Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1508769
16 OCT. 7, 2023 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED THE GUY THE GUY Mitchell Evans is transforming Mitchell Evans is transforming himself into the next great himself into the next great Notre Dame tight end Notre Dame tight end BY TYLER HORKA M i tc h e l l Eva n s wa s s u r - rounded. The 11-year-old pranced about his house in Wad- sworth, Ohio, wearing an Oregon jersey. Everyone else was in clear support of the home team: Ohio State. Now 20, Evans estimated there were 30 people at his family's College Foot- ball Playoff National Championship Game watch party on Jan. 12, 2015. He was the only one rooting for the Ducks. Evans developed an affinity for them watching running back De'Anthony Thomas and quarterback Marcus Mari- ota light it up in the program's famed colorful uniforms. Evans was a running back growing up. He played some quar- terback for Wadsworth in 2020, too, finishing that season with 2,132 passing yards and 23 touchdowns. Evans knows what good skill position play looks like from watching the Ducks do it for so long and then doing it himself. Ironically, he was reintroduced to it first- hand as a sophomore when Notre Dame traveled to Columbus to take on his home- state Buckeyes in the 2022 season opener. CJ Stroud. Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Mar- vin Harrison Jr. Emeka Egbuka. Sheesh. Evans watched those Bucks lead Ohio State to a 21-10 victory while the tight end was sidelined with a foot injury sustained in the preceding fall camp. Like any competitor, especially one who found a passion for the game follow- ing players as electrifying as Thomas and Mariota, Evans would have loved to con- tribute to the Notre Dame offense in an effort to outscore Harrison and Egbuka. Just more than a year later, he got his chance. Evans found himself surrounded by Buckeyes once again on Sept. 23. One of them, vaunted linebacker Steele Cham- bers, was draped all over him as he cut to- ward the middle of the field at Notre Dame