Notre Dame Lands 2021 Tight End Mitchell Evans
The Notre Dame staff was set on landing a tight end to pair with longtime committed tight end Cane Berrong, and they have found their man, landing Wadsworth (Ohio) Senior standout Mitchell Evans.
The 6-7, 240-pounder had been on the staff’s radar for some time, and since his offer on June 30, the Irish were the favorite for Evans’ commitment.
Evans is ranked as three-star on 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN. The 247Sports Composite ranks him as the No. 20 tight end in the nation and the No. 14 player from the state of Ohio.
The history and pedigree of the tight end position was massive in Evans’ decision to commit to Notre Dame. Tight end coach John McNulty has developed a great relationship with Evans over the past few months and was a big reason why he committed to Notre Dame.
“I have been talking to Coach McNulty off and on since March, but in the past three or four weeks, he and Notre Dame have really stepped up how much they have been contacting me,” Evans recalled. “He is really cool. He was in the NFL for so long and he definitely knows what he is talking about. He is easy to talk to, he knows football, and he really knows what he is talking about. He and I really click.”
McNulty has come in and made an immediate impact with the players he will be coaching this fall and in the future. Berrong, Mitchell Evans, and 2022 tight end Jack Nickel have all mentioned to Irish Breakdown how great of a relationship they have with the Irish assistant coach.
It became clear that Evans would commit to Notre Dame after he and his family visited Notre Dame’s campus on Saturday, July 18. The Evans family lives in Wadsworth, Ohio, just under five hours away from South Bend, so it was a trip that was manageable for them to check out Notre Dame, given the circumstances.
Evans had always planned on making a decision before his senior year began, and COVID-19 forced his hand into visiting campus without being able to take an official visit with the staff.
When Irish Breakdown caught up with Evans after he received his offer back in June, it was very clear from the start that his interest was genuine.
“Notre Dame is an elite school all around,” Evans stated. “Sure, Florida State and Michigan State are good at football, but with the prestigious academics at Notre Dame, on top of how good they are at football, they are setting themselves apart.”
In the end, it came down to Notre Dame and Pittsburgh as Evans’ final two teams, but Notre Dame ended up beating out a host of other schools for Evans’ pledge. In Evans’ Top 10 that he released on July 4, Florida State, Michigan State, Louisville, Virginia, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Iowa State, Cincinnati, and Notre Dame were the schools included.
Given his size and length, it makes sense to think about Evans possibly out-growing the tight end position and moving to the offensive line, but Evans desires to catch passes as well.
“I like tight end way more, but if it looks like I need to make the switch in order to play at the next level and in the NFL, I’ll do it," said the Wadsworth standout. "I would like to play tight end, though.”
Evans and Berrong look to be a formidable tight end duo for Notre Dame in McNulty’s first recruiting class as tight ends coach. Berrong is the stronger all-around player, but Evans complements him nicely thanks to his massive size and blocking prowess. The duo will look to continue the trend of tight end greatness at Notre Dame during the Brian Kelly era.
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