Spring Football: Life after Michael Mayer for Notre Dame’s tight end room

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - While there is plenty of excitement that comes with the start of spring practices for the Notre Dame football team, there also comes a realization of what the Irish won’t have on the field next season.

For instance, they won’t have their top receiver for the last two seasons, as former tight end Michael Mayer will likely hear his named called in the first round of next month’s NFL Draft.

Senior Kevin Bauman is coming back from injury and Mitchell Evans got some playing experience last season. And it’s not like these guys don’t know the legacy that needs to be upheld in that position room…

Tight ends coach and newly named offensive coordinator Gerad Parker recently touched on what’s next for Notre Dame’s tight ends.

“The good thing is they got a real good glimpse of it through fifteen, sixteen practices — whatever it was for the bowl game — and playing in the bowl game, and they just feel a huge obligation to the history and tradition of the tight end room,” Parker said. “The guys that are still playing in the NFL, the guys of the past that have played in the NFL and/or put this golden helmet on long before I got here and will happen long after, there’s an obligation that we play at a high level at the tight end position here. I know that. I’ve got the responsibility of it. They know it, and they feel it in a very positive way to make sure they play at a high level, cause that’s the standard here at Notre Dame.”

The Fighting Irish will continue to gear up for the 2023 edition of the Blue-Gold Game, which will take place on April 22 at Notre Dame Stadium.

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