Shane Beamer analyzes Notre Dame's talent at tight end

The tight end position will look a lot different for both South Carolina and Notre Dame in their upcoming Gator Bowl matchup, especially for the Fighting Irish who will be missing one of the top tight ends in the country in Michael Mayer. Mayer recently declared for the 2023 NFL Draft and will forgo Notre Dame’s bowl game, which Gamecocks’ head coach Shane Beamer spoke about ahead of their game.

“I’d say they’re all good but you’re right, every single year it seems like Notre Dame’s got a big, NFL prototype tight end,” Beamer said. “And obviously he was a really productive guy and a weapon in their passing game that they targeted an unbelievable amount of times, so that’s certainly a big loss for him.”

Mayer was Notre Dame’s leading receiver by a long shot, leading the team in receptions by 37 catches, receiving yards by 469 yards, and receiving touchdowns by six. He was the focal point of their passing game, and the Fighting Irish will now have to rely on younger talent like Kevin Bauman and Holden Staes, the only other tight ends on the roster to record catches this season and combined for four total.

“But they’ve got capable tight ends for sure, we don’t have the bodies right now, they’ve got the bodies at tight end,” Beamer said. “They just don’t have the experience that maybe the other guy did for them.”

As for the Gamecocks, their top two tight ends from this season Jaheim Bell and Austin Stogner have both entered the transfer portal and will not be available either for the Gator Bowl. The duo ranked as South Carolina’s fourth and fifth-ranked wide receivers this year combining for 45 catches, 441 yards, and three touchdown grabs. Bell was also a focal point in their rushing attack, ending the season as the Gamecocks second leading rusher with 73 carries for 261 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

South Carolina tight end Nate Adkins is the only other tight end on the Gamecocks’ roster to record a catch this year, with just one on the season. Both Gator Bowl squads will need to find some newfound production from the tight end position in this matchup, and hopefully they can also find their tight ends of the future in the process.

Notre Dame and South Carolina will square off this Friday at 3:30 p.m. ET in a Gator Bowl matchup that’ll air on ESPN.