Notre Dame TE Mitchell Evans updates ACL injury recovery following second day of fall camp
First-year Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock’s unit received a big boost on Wednesday when Mitchell Evans returned to practice for the start of fall camp.
When Denbrock arrived in South Bend in January for his third tour with the Fighting Irish, Evans, a junior tight end, was fully entrenched in recovering from a torn ACL. His injury in the Pittsburgh game on Oct. 28 sidelined him for the rest of the season. It also physically limited him in winter workouts and kept him out of spring ball.
But nine months later, Notre Dame’s starting tight end on the mend and ready to contribute.
“I feel good,” Evans told reporters on Thursday, following the program’s second fall camp practice. “The knee’s strong. I’m in like the return to play status that we have here. So, just doing what that entails. I’m feeling pretty good.”
On Thursday, Evans felt so good that he ditched the knee brace he wore Wednesday to protect his previously injured leg. Count it as one step closer to Evans returning to the same player that broke out last fall.
After not logging a catch in Week 0 against Navy, Evans caught at least two passes for 60 yards in five of the next seven outings. He finished his 8-game junior season with 29 receptions for 422 yards and 1 touchdown. About a third of his yardage came in a key effort against Duke, in which he logged 6 catches for 134 yards to help the Irish escape Durham with a win.
In doing so, Evans quickly answered who would replace program great Michael Mayer. Now, he enters the 2024 season as one of the top contenders to win the Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end.
Evans has his determination to not only get back to full strength physically but also become mentally stronger to thank for his positioning early in fall camp and eventually on preseason award watch lists.
“Be more mentally involved mentally focused,” he said. “Especially now, during camp, when I’m getting back into things. I haven’t played football for a little bit. Just be more mentally in tune with what I’m doing.”
When will tight end Mitchell Evans return for Notre Dame football?
Even though Evans’ progression has been encouraging, he has not received the green light to go full throttle. But that time should come by the end of August.
On Wednesday, coach Marcus Freeman told reporters Evans, fellow tight end Kevin Bauman (torn ACL) and cornerback Benjamin Morrison (shoulder surgery) would be good to go by the time the Irish kick off the 2024 season at Texas A&M.
“Everybody will be clear by the time we get to game week,” Freeman said. “I just don’t know exactly when it’s going to be over these next upcoming weeks. But they’ll be good to go.”
Still, Evans feels good to go. And so should Denbrock’s offense with his No. 1 tight end back in the fold.
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