The Notre Dame football team is stacked at the tight end position, but which member of the position group has the most to prove in 2021?
Last season, the Notre Dame football team had a real issue at wide receiver, though they did see Javon McKinley and Ben Skowronek step up once the games started. While wideout was an issue going into the season, the tight end position was not, as a true freshman stepped up and became one of the best young players at his position in the country.
In 2021, the tight end spot should still be solid, and the wide receiver position is once again a question mark, though there is not a lack of talent at either position. We recently looked at who needs to step up at wide receiver in 2021, and there is certainly a lot of talent to choose from in both veterans and true freshmen.
At tight end, Michael Mayer returns for Year 2, and while Tommy Tremble left for the NFL, becoming a third-round pick of the Carolina Panthers, there is still a lot of talent left in the cupboard. Notre Dame football will lean on this position group in a big way in 2021, especially with a new quarterback in Jack Coan, and they have the depth to do so.
Here is which player has the most to prove in 2021 at the tight end spot.
Notre Dame football: Which tight end has the most to prove in 2021?
The Case for Mayer
It is easy to look at this position group and see that it could be Michael Mayer who has the most to prove in 2021. Coming in as a true freshman, Mayer did not have huge expectations in Year 1, but he was an elite prospect, rated as the No. 2 tight end in the country, as well as the No. 1 player in the state of Kentucky.
As a true freshman, Mayer hauled in over 40 catches for 450 yards and a handful of touchdowns, becoming a solid security blanket for quarterback Ian Book. In 2021, he will be out to prove that his freshman season was no fluke and that he can put this offense on his back, especially with so many changes on that side of the ball.
The truth is, Mayer has already proven his worth to this program and is likely going to be a three-year starter that eventually is picked in the first round of the NFL Draft. He is carrying on a long list of elite tight ends for the Notre Dame football program and has the talent to possibly be the best one yet.
Notre Dame football: Which tight end has the most to prove in 2021?
Who has the most to prove?
Mayer was the top recruit in the 2020 class according to 247Sports.com, but he was not the only tight end that the Notre Dame football program brought in. In fact, they brought in another four-star talent in Kevin Bauman, who many believe will have a breakout season as the No. 2 tight end for the Irish in 2021.
As it stands, George Takacs is listed as the No. 2 tight end for the Irish, but he is more of a blocker, with Bauman being a bit of a playmaker. Standing at 6-foot-5, Bauman is a menacing presence for any defense to cover, and in both he and Mayer, the Irish have a dynamic young duo that should carry this position group for the next two seasons.
Behind Bauman is two more true freshmen who came in this year in Cane Berrong and Mitchell Evans, so he needs to prove he deserves to stay above them in the depth chart. Four-star recruit Holden Staes and three-star Eli Raridon are coming in with the 2022 recruiting class, so this is a position group that will be loaded for some time.
5 Notre Dame football players with the most to prove in 2021
The Notre Dame football team is banking on some elite players in 2021, but these five players have the most to prove this upcoming season.
This is a position group that could be one of the best in college football this season, especially if Mayer continues to develop at this pace. He took the college football landscape by storm in 2020, and in Bauman, he could have not only a solid No. 2 but a player who can help him take his game to even new heights.