Mitchell Evans never considered he could possibly redshirt in his freshman season at Notre Dame.
Even though Evans arrived at Notre Dame in 2021 intending to play tight end after finishing his Wadsworth (Ohio) High career playing quarterback, sitting out wasn’t part of the plan.
“I never really had redshirt in my mind, because honestly I really didn’t know what that was,” Evans admitted Thursday following preseason camp practice No. 2 ahead of his junior season at Notre Dame. “I was going to come in ready to go, ready to work. I was trying to do what my sister did. My sister plays volleyball at Georgia. She’d just tell me go and basically work hard every day. That kind of helped me.”
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Evans, a three-star recruit ranked by Rivals as the No. 26 tight end in the 2021 recruiting class, instead played in all 13 games of his freshman season as a reserve tight end and special teams contributor. He would have done so again in 2022 if not for a summer foot injury that required surgery and sidelined him for the first five games of his sophomore season.
Playing alongside record-setting tight end Michael Mayer, Evans still managed to average 40 snaps in the eight games he played. That’s because he embraced the role of a blocker early in his college career. He didn’t have much of a choice when given reps in camp as a freshman during an inside run drill that features plenty of physicality.
“It’s a different world in there,” Evans said. “You have to bring your juice every day for inside run. That’s basically what I did until now: block, block, block. I’ve been sharpening that tool a little bit. My freshman fall camp, I felt like I can do this. I just have to refine it a little bit.”
That refinement starts with footwork. The proper technique can make a world of a difference when trying to move defenders off the line of scrimmage.
Footwork will also be key for the 6-foot-5, 251-pound Evans to expand his role as a pass catcher in Notre Dame’s offense. In 21 games the past two seasons, he only caught five passes for 60 yards and one touchdown. The majority (three catches, 39 yards and the touchdown) came in last year’s Gator Bowl when Mayer opted to start NFL Draft preparations early.
“The bowl game — [then-tight ends] coach [Gerad] Parker’s message to me — was to build momentum for this year. Show them what I can do and just be myself. Just go play ball. I can be a great player here and help make this room great. Even when my time is done here, keep the tradition of Tight End U at Notre Dame.”
Being tasked with replacing Mayer — which no tight end on Notre Dame’s roster can truly do alone — could be a daunting task for Evans. The high standard set by Mayer continued an NFL pipeline of Notre Dame tight ends that includes 12 draft picks since 2005. Seven of those were selected in the first two rounds.
Evans insists he doesn’t feel any pressure as the next in line. He'll share the responsibility with senior Kevin Bauman, sophomores Holden Staes and Eli Raridon and freshman Cooper Flanagan.
“We have a great room, so that’s never really crossed my mind of having that extra weight on my shoulders,” Evans said. “My approach has never really changed. If anything, it’s changed to working my butt off even more. I came in and just worked, worked, worked. Now we’re in camp and our whole team’s working here.”
That work ethic was shared by Mayer, who had a reputation for being one of the hardest working players on the team even if he was already one of the most talented.
“He showed up every day and worked his butt off,” Evans said of Mayer. “So taking that and inputting it into my own game in my routine/lifestyle. Going to work every day, because he approached the game like it was his last day playing. Just working your butt off.”
The offseason promotion of Parker to offensive coordinator has only provided more motivation for a tight end group that feels its talents will continue to be maximized. Parker hasn’t let his attention drift away from the position.
“He’s still showing us the same love,” Evans said. “It’s been great. Nothing’s really slacked off. He’s been great. If anything, it’s helped us. It’s been great.”
The offense will likely look different in certain ways — particularly with an expanded deep passing game due to the addition of quarterback Sam Hartman — but Evans believes it will have some of the same staples that Notre Dame’s relied on in years past such as a strong running game and a high usage of 12 personnel (one running back and two tight ends).
Confidence, as Evans showed previously, shouldn’t be an issue.
“It’s something new. So with that, everyone’s kind of excited,” Evans said. “We’re all eager to see how this year’s going to be, but we have very high expectations for ourselves and our offense.”
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