Notre Dame football: Michael Mayer’s impact goes beyond the stats
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football program has an elite talent in tight end Michael Mayer, whose impact in 2022 will go way beyond the statistics.
Looking ahead to Saturday’s matchup with the Ohio State Buckeyes, there is a lot to be excited about for this Notre Dame football team. They went 11-1 in the regular season last year, made it to the Fiesta Bowl, and have added some incredibly talented players from a roster that only lost a few players to the NFL Draft.
Sure, losing Kyle Hamilton on defense is going to be tough, but Brandon Joseph will soften that blow, while at running back, back-to-back 1,000-yard rusher Kyren Williams is no longer Irish. He will be replaced by a trio of backs, including Logan Diggs, Chris Tyree, and Audric Estime, three players who can shoulder the load.
Staying on the offense, one man stands above them all, and that is tight end, Michael Mayer. Arguably the best tight end in the history of the program, Mayer is likely entering his final season in South Bend and should be one of the best in the country at his position group.
Just having him on the field does so much for the Irish, and that is not only in the box score.
Pete Sampson from The Athletic tweeted this out on Saturday:
Defensive coordinator Al Golden on the matchup problems created by Michael Mayer:
— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) August 27, 2022
"Put a linebacker on him, it's a plus for (Mayer). Put a safety on him, he better be very long. Put a nickel on him, you can get bounced out of the bar."
Mayer is the kind of player that teams have to gameplan for, and that should open up lanes for some other of the Notre Dame weapons. Guys like Braden Lenzy, Lorenzo Styles Jr., and Deion Colzie have to step up in a big way in the passing game this season, and Mayer taking so much of the pressure off of them will help them do so.
Notre Dame football could struggle on offense early on
Notre Dame has a brand new quarterback in Tyler Buchner, who has never started a collegiate game, so there are going to be some bumps in the road there. The starting offensive line could also be without Jarrett Patterson to start the season, as he deals with an injury, so they will be without their captain up front.
However, Mayer is an equalizer, and having him in the lineup is going to do wonders for not only the offense in terms of statistics but also the confidence of a young quarterback in Buchner. Notre Dame should be outstanding on offense after the season gets rolling, and Mayer could be in for another monster season in South Bend.