Why Mitchell Evans is the 15th most important Notre Dame player in 2023

Gone are the days of Notre Dame having Michael Mayer on the field for as many snaps as any non-offensive lineman on the roster. Mayer played 748 offensive snaps. The team leaders were Joe Alt, Zeke Correll and Josh Lugg with 887.

It’s truly remarkable to realize Mayer was on the field for more snaps than Notre Dame’s 10-game starter at quarterback, Drew Pyne, who logged 683 snaps.

Who’s the next stalwart at tight end for the Blue and Gold? It might be Mitchell Evans, BlueandGold.com’s No. 15 most important player on the 2023 roster per a panel of five staffers.

Why Evans is No. 15

Evans was the last man standing of sorts both in the Gator Bowl last December and in spring practices a few months ago. Senior Kevin Bauman and sophomore Eli Raridon were rehabbing ACL injuries. Evans was only flanked by fellow scholarship tight ends Davis Sherwood, a former walk-on, and Holden Staes, who only played 83 snaps as a true freshman in 2022.

Evans played 326 in just eight games. He missed the first five games of the season coming back from a foot fracture and subsequent surgery. Notre Dame would not have won that Gator Bowl without Evans; he caught the game-winning 16-yard touchdown with 1:38 remaining in a 45-38 final.

Evans caught just his third, fourth and fifth receptions of his career in that game. He’s unproven, but so are all of the tight ends. Even Bauman, the elder statesman of the group, only has five career receptions as well. Raridon has zero. Sherwood has zero. Staes has one.

Evans has his nose out ahead of an inexperienced Notre Dame tight end group, so he gets the nod in landing on this list.

What a successful season would look like for Evans

He’s not going to put up Mayer-like numbers. Mayer is the most decorated Notre Dame tight end in terms of statistics in program history. But with Sam Hartman throwing him the ball, Evans could still put up some nice stats of his own.

The last season in which Notre Dame played without Mayer on the roster, Cole Kmet had 43 catches for 515 yards and 6 touchdowns. Kmet has turned himself into a serviceable NFL player, so a line like that might be too lofty for Evans. He probably projects somewhere in the 20 to 30 catch range for 300 to 400 yards with 5 touchdowns. Those are attainable goals for Evans. And if he gets to them, it will constitute a successful season.

Worth-noting: Evans had the 10th-best run-blocking grade on the team per Pro Football Focus. That’s not Mayer-esque; Mayer was second on the team behind Alt. But 10th will work, especially considering Sherwood, Bauman and Staes all appeared toward the bottom of the list. Strong run-blocking is going to be just as paramount for Evans as what he produces in the passing game.

Behind the ranking

The top 25 was determined in the same manner as the Associated Press Top 25. Five BlueandGold.com staff members submitted their ballots, and each position on the ballot was given a point value. The top ranking was worth 25 points, No. 2 was worth 24, No. 3 worth 23 and so on down until No. 25, which was worth one point. The players with the 25 highest point totals made the list.

Talent and the projected depth chart were key foundations for the poll, but voters placed a premium on these questions: 1) If you subtracted this individual from the Notre Dame roster, how much of a setback would it be? 2) If this less proven player emerges and makes an impact, how much does that raise Notre Dame’s ceiling (or lower it, if a breakout does not happen as expected)?

Individual rankings

Tyler Horka: No. 11
Kyle Kelly: No. 11
Stephen Downey: No. 17
Todd Burlage: No. 17
Jack Soble: NR

No. 15: Junior tight end Mitchell Evans
No. 16: Senior wide receiver Chris Tyree
No. 17: Graduate student center Zeke Correll
No. 18: Graduate student defensive tackle Howard Cross III
No. 19: Graduate student safety Antonio Carter II
No. 20: Graduate student offensive lineman Andrew Kristofic
No. 21: Graduate student defensive back Thomas Harper
No. 22: Sophomore offensive guard Billy Schrauth
No. 23: Junior wide receiver Deion Colzie
No. 24: Graduate student linebacker Marist Liufau
No. 25: Freshman wide receiver Jaden Greathouse

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