12/18/2019 football Edit

Notre Dame Signee Profile: TE Kevin Bauman

Mike Singer • InsideNDSports

Recruiting Insider

Michael Mayer gets a lot of attention as a highly rated tight end recruit for the Irish, but Red Bank (N.J.) Catholic’s Kevin Bauman is one of the best at his position nationally and has officially signed with Notre Dame.

The Rivals250 prospect has been a longtime Notre Dame commit and will join the program during the summer.

Rivals rates Bauman as a four-star recruit and the No. 5 tight end in the class of 2020. (Rivals.com)

RANKINGS

Rivals: No. 2 prospect in New Jersey, and No. 5 tight end and No. 130 overall prospect nationally

ESPN: No. 8 prospect in New Jersey, and No. 5 tight end and No. 275 prospect in the country

STATS

2019 Stats: 15 receptions for 251 yards and three touchdowns ... 63 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and 11 sacks

Career Stats: 50 receptions for 938 yards and 13 touchdowns (career defensive stats N/A)

NOTABLE

• 2020 Polynesian Bowl participant

• 2019 USA Today All-New Jersey first-team offense

• Finalist for the 2019 Maxwell New Jersey Player of the Year

• From the same high school as former Notre Dame All-American offensive lineman Quenton Nelson

• Committed to Notre Dame just 19 days after he earned a scholarship offer from the Irish

• Also played basketball for Red Bank Catholic

RECRUITMENT

Offer Sheet: Boston College, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Northwestern, Rutgers, Syracuse, Texas A&M, UCF, Vanderbilt, Virginia and West Virginia

At the high school level, Bauman has not put up big numbers on the offensive side of the ball on mainly a run-first team, but in offseason campus and seven-on-sevens, the four-star prospect has shown to be a dominant pass catcher.

Bauman has been a force as a run-blocking tight end of Red Bank Catholic. He is also a beast as a defensive end.

His recruitment really blew up after his sophomore season, but when the Irish offered him on May 25, 2018, it became the school to beat. He committed to the Irish a couple of weeks later.

“The school sets you up for life after football and that was a huge part of it,” Bauman said. “Football was a huge part of it of course, but the spiritual aspect of it, the traditions and the faith all fit perfectly together. I fell in love with it.”

Bauman stayed true to his verbal commitment for a year and a half and never visited any other schools. Even with the news of offensive coordinator Chip Long, who was also going to be his position coach, leaving the program, Bauman did not waver at all.

QUOTABLE

“I could tell from the second we walked onto campus throughout the whole day me and my parents fell in love with the place. It was just an awesome experience being out there. What they are as a football program speaks for itself, with the tradition to go with the academic side and spiritual side all came together. It’s a place I could see myself at and I fit in perfectly.” — Bauman one day after his ND commitment

ANALYST TAKE

“He shows very good strength coming off the ball and is a reliable run blocker when given the chance. He shows a strong pair of hands, good work ethic, and big-time speed. He’s a natural pass catcher and fluid athlete with good feeling for setting up routes. Kevin knows how to get himself open and transitions fluidly from receiver to runner after the catch.” — Tom Lemming of Prep Football Report and CBS Sports Network