Wadsworth (Ohio) High tight end Mitchell Evans is one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2021 class.
Evans plays some quarterback at the high school level and is being recruited by two dozen schools as a tight end. Standing at 6-7, 240 pounds, Evans could also be a high-ceiling offensive tackle prospect.
“Some schools have mentioned tackle,” Evans said. “Coaches want me at tight end for now, but could turn me into tackle.”
Evans has more than 20 scholarship offers, including schools such as Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Michigan State, Virginia and West Virginia.
“It’s blown up for me during the quarantine,” Evans added. “I got my first offer in February and it took off. It also stinks because I can’t take any visits. Now, we’re doing a bunch of Zoom calls — some weeks up to 10 of them.”
Evans hasn’t publicly narrowed down his recruitment, but he has come up with a list of his top 10 schools. However, he has had to change it a couple times because new offers come in from schools that he really likes.
His latest offer is from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Evans had been in touch with tight ends coach John McNulty in March, just a couple weeks after he was hired by the Irish. Contact fell off a bit between the two parties into April and May, but Evans and McNulty have been in close contact the past few weeks.
On Tuesday, Evans and his parents had a Zoom call with McNulty, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and recruiting coordinator Brian Polian.
“I learned a lot about the program — how many students they have, graduation rate, all of that kind of stuff,” Evans said. “At the end, they told me I had the offer, and it was really cool. I was on the call with my mom and dad, and my mom started tearing up.
“It’s a really good opportunity for me.”
Evans knows the basics of Notre Dame, certainly enough to get him fired up about the Fighting Irish.
“I know a degree from there is elite,” he said. “They’re historically and currently really good at football. At my position, they produce tight ends [to the NFL]. They’re a winning program, and they have a really tough schedule. Everything about Notre Dame is elite.”
College coaches and recruits haven’t been able to have face-to-face interactions since early March, and the NCAA’s dead period won’t lift until Aug. 31 at the earliest.
This news has affected recruits across the country, including Evans with his respective timeline.
“I wanted to commit before the season,” he noted. “If I’m ready, I can commit, but if I’m not, I’ll wait it out until I can take a couple official visits. It’s going to be hard to see what actually happens.”
Rivals ranks Evans with a 5.7 recruit ranking, the highest designation for a three-star recruit, and the No. 28 tight end nationally.
Evans’ mother played volleyball at Akron and his father was on the football team at Kent State. His older sister currently plays volleyball at Georgia.
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