Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer declares for 2023 NFL Draft

Notre Dame star tight end Michael Mayer has made his decision. He will enter the 2023 NFL Draft.

Mayer relayed his decision to ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Wednesday. Thamel shared the news via Twitter.

“Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer tells ESPN he’s declaring for the NFL Draft,” tweeted Thamel. “’I wanted to come and win games be a first-round draft pick.’ He’s Mel Kiper’s No. 8 overall prospect and top TE. He’s skipping the Gator Bowl.”

Mayer has been a staple of the Notre Dame offense, bursting onto the scene in 2021 with 841 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. He carried that momentum into this year and set multiple records during his time in South Bend, including the most touchdown receptions by a tight end in program history.

Out of high school, Mayer was a four-star recruit and the No. 34 player in the nation from the class of 2020, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. Mayer has been projected as a first-round pick throughout the season in multiple mock drafts, and he appears to have a bright future in the NFL.

More on the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft is set to take place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event will be held at the plaza just outside of Union Station.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft will be broadcasted throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.

To be eligible for the NFL Draft, players must be at least three years removed from their final year of high school while having used up their collegiate eligibility. Underclassmen are able to request league approval to become eligible for the draft, as are players who have graduated prior to using up all of their collegiate eligibility. 100 underclassmen were approved for last year’s draft. 73 of those 100 underclassmen were granted special eligibility while 27 of them were underclassmen who had completed their college degrees.

The 2023 NFL scouting combine will take place from Feb. 28 through March 6 in Indianapolis.