Notre Dame 2022 Tight End Preview
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Tight end play has been a strength of the Notre Dame offense for years, and the Irish enter the 2022 season with arguably the best tight end in the nation. Junior Michael Mayer will get much of the attention, but if Notre Dame is going to reach its full potential as an offense in 2022 it will need others at the position to step up.
First-year position coach Gerad Parker has a tall task. He'll be expected to continue getting the most out of Mayer and also to get a talented but shaky depth chart behind his star up to speed. With injury woes and past departures at running back and wide receiver, the tight ends will need to provide production beyond Mayer.
The more production the tight end depth chart can provide, and the more impactful snaps this unit can provide the better the entire offense will be in 2022.
MAYER NEEDS TO BE A STAR
Of course, the star of the group is Mayer. A case could be made that Mayer is Notre Dame's best player, and he needs to play like it this season. Without Mayer playing like the star he is the offense will have a hard time playing championship caliber football.
It's not so much about production with Mayer, especially early in the season as teams focus much of their attention on him. Teams are going to make other Notre Dame players beat them early on, but Mayer still will get his numbers. The key, however, is that he must execute at a high level and draw as much attention as possible, and when he gets in one-on-ones he needs to dominate.
Mayer has been outstanding his first two seasons at Notre Dame, but there is room for improvement. His route running must continue to get cleaned up and he has to be more consistent catching the football. Mayer also has room to become a more dominant force in the run game.
Now a junior, Mayer is poised to take his game to an even higher level.
CAMP IS CRUCIAL FOR BOWMAN
Junior Kevin Bauman and Mayer were part of the same class, but the New Jersey native has struggled to stay healthy and has been buried on the depth chart so far. That says more about the depth chart than it does Bauman, who heads into his junior season with arguably his last chance to become a major factor in the Irish offense.
Bauman has the tools to be a quality second tight end, both as a pass catcher and run blocker. Whether that's as an attached tight end or as more of a movement blocker remains to be seen.
The younger players on the depth chart are going to make a run this fall, so he'll need to be on top of his game.
BERRONG WILL GET HIS CHANCE
According to several sources, Cane Berrong is healthy and has been a standout in summer workouts. A top recruit in the 2021 class, Berrong was starting to push for more action in the fall when he went down with a knee injury, so he'll be hungry to pick up where he left off last season.
Berrong is an intriguing player in many ways. He's built more like a H-back or movement tight end, and he runs like one too. Berrong has always had good speed, and if he's back to full strength he'll add a vertical threat to the depth chart. He has the athleticism to develop into a strong route runner, and Berrong has good hands.
The injury to his classmate (Mitchell Evans) has opened up an even more direct path for Berrong to force his way onto the field this season. The Georgia native will need to show he can block at a high level to earn significant reps, but if he can do that don't be surprised if the Irish staff then finds ways to use his pass catching skills as a weapon.
FRESHMEN WILL MAKE THEIR PRESENCE FELT
Notre Dame landed arguably the best tight end class in the country last season, signing Iowa standout Eli Raridon and Georgia native Holden Staes. In most instances, with talented players like Bauman and Berrong returning the freshmen would be in a wait-your-turn situation, but Raridon and Staes are very talented young players that will be hard to keep off the field.
Raridon is a unique talent, possessing great size (6-7, 240), speed and athleticism. A knee injury in December slowed down his offseason a bit, but the expectation is that Raridon will be back to full strength sooner rather than later. Once that happens the older tight ends are going to have a very, very hard time keeping Raridon off the field.
As a freshman you can expect Raridon to be more of a pass catching weapon. His size and vertical ability are outstanding, and he presents an immediate pass game mismatch, even as a rookie.
Staes is more of a dual-threat tight end, possessing impressive potential as both a run blocker and pass catcher. He's extremely talented, but his game is a bit more raw. How quickly he can get up to speed will determine his ability to impact the depth chart in 2022.
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