Notre Dame TE Tommy Tremble Declares For NFL Draft, Bypassing Senior Year
Notre Dame’s tight end room is losing its best run blocker.
Tommy Tremble announced Thursday he is declaring for the NFL Draft, bypassing his senior year. His departure marks the second straight year a Notre Dame tight end has entered the NFL Draft after three seasons, following eventual second-round pick Cole Kmet in 2020.
The 6-4, 248-pound Tremble caught 19 passes for 218 yards in 12 games this season, making 10 starts. He ends his Notre Dame career with 35 catches, 401 yards and four touchdowns.
"After seeking both professional and personal advice and carefully evaluating my options, I have made the decision to declare for the 2021 NFL Draft," Tremble wrote in a statement. "This is not a decision I came to easily, but I believe in myself and know the timing is right when it comes to pursuing this dream."
Among Notre Dame’s tight ends, Tremble was second to freshman Michael Mayer in snaps (564 to 472), catches (42 to 19) and yards (450 to 218). He still found his way on the field, though, due to Notre Dame use of multiple tight ends in more than half its sets and his blocking ability.
Tremble’s 83.7 Pro Football Focus run-blocking grade led all Notre Dame tight ends and was fifth on the team among players who logged at least 50 snaps. No Football Bowl Subdivision tight end who played more than 100 snaps had a higher mark as a run blocker.
Mayer’s emergence ate into an expected breakout, but Tremble still showcased some receiving ability. He had three catches of at least 15 yards, including a 27-yarder against South Florida and a 30-yard grab in the ACC Championship. He played 106 snaps in the slot, per PFF, with 308 in-line and 49 in the backfield.
Some draft analysts see Tremble as a likely selection in April. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler recently ranked him fifth among tight ends in this year’s class. He is not in ESPN’s Mel Kiper’s most recent top 10 at the position.
Tremble arrived in June 2018 as a three-star recruit out of Johns Creek, Ga., and The Wesleyan School known for his speed. His 4.63 second 40-yard dash at the Nike Opening Atlanta camp was the fastest among tight ends at any Opening regional. He was listed as the No. 20 tight end in the 2018 class, and chose Notre Dame over UCLA, Michigan and Georgia.
With Tremble declaring and senior Brock Wright passing on the NCAA’s extra year of eligibility, Mayer and rising senior George Takacs are Notre Dame’s most experienced tight ends entering 2021. Notre Dame signed two tight ends in the 2021 class, three-star recruit Mitchell Evans from Wadsworth (Ohio) High School and three-star Cane Berrong out of Hopewell (Ga.) Hart County High.
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