Notre Dame tight end Mitchell Evans undergoes foot surgery, will miss several months
After a relatively quiet spring on the injury front, Notre Dame is now dealing with another offseason complication. Rising sophomore tight end Mitchell Evans had surgery Thursday to repair a fracture in his fifth metatarsal and will miss several months, the team announced. He was injured in a summer workout and is probable to return later this season.
Former Notre Dame receiver Kevin Austin Jr. dealt with a similar injury in college, one which sidelined him for nearly all the 2020 season.
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Evans saw action in all 13 games last season, making two catches for 21 yards. An impressive 2022 spring led to optimism about his impact as the possible No. 2 tight end this fall behind star tight end Michael Mayer, but someone else may now need to assume that role.
“I’m going to go with Mitch Evans,” safety Houston Griffith said when asked who could be a standout player in the 2022 Blue-Gold Game. “I think he’s going to be the sleeper pick, and he’s going to make some plays. I’ve been covering Mitch since he got here, and he’s gotten better and better this spring. You can see it in the way he’s finishing plays. I feel good about Mitch right now.
“Being able to (create) separation from defenders is something that’s been eye-opening for Mitch. Also, he’s a consistent catcher.”
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Evans ended up with just one catch for one yard in the contest, but the performance shouldn’t be a huge concern; the coaches were cycling numerous players in and out during the scrimmage.
The 6-6, 250-pound tight end was a 2021 four-star recruit out of Wadsworth (Ohio) High. He was the No. 17 tight end and No. 429 player nationally in his class.
Notre Dame has plenty of talent in the tight end room, but outside of Mayer it is an unproven group. Kevin Bauman is entering his third season with the Irish, Cane Berrong is in Evans’ class, and Eli Raridon and Holden Staes are freshmen who arrived just over a month ago. Former Irish tight end George Takacs transferred to Boston College this offseason.
Bauman fractured his leg last season and had just one catch for 10 yards, while Berrong tore his ACL and did not record stats. If injury woes continue for the two and Evans is sidelined for a while, the true freshmen may see the field earlier and more frequently than originally anticipated.
