Notre Dame football: Irish are premier “Tight End University”

While Notre Dame football has long been deemed “Tight End University,” with Michael Mayer departing, what is the current state of the TE room at Notre Dame?

Not only is Michael Mayer departing for the NFL, but Cane Berrong, a sophomore tight end out of Hartwell, Georgia, has entered the transfer portal. According to the 247Sports composite ranking, Berrong was the 10th-best TE in the nation for the class of 2021. At 6’4″ and 230 pounds, Cane has the size and skill to make an impact among the top teams in the nation. Though transferring from the Notre Dame football program, he should garner plenty of interest in the portal and quickly find a new home.

Mitchell Evans, Kevin Bauman, Holden Staes, and Eli Raridon are the current tight ends in the room that figure to play a prominent role moving forward. Sadly, two of those guys, Raridon and Bauman, are working through serious injuries. The group is still immensely talented, but where do they go from here?

Evans was the standout tight end in the Gator Bowl against South Carolina. He proved he could do more than fall forward for a one-yard gain on 4th and short. Mitchell caught 3 passes with a long 18 yards, including what would prove to be the game-winner for the Irish. At this point, any one of the tight ends in this group could have a breakout season next year. However, one will have to step up and replace some massive production lost with Michael Mayer leaving.

Looking towards the future, the Irish continue to recruit the position very well. Cooper Flanagan is a big-bodied tight end at 6’5″ and 230 pounds out of California that could push for early playing time. According to 247Sports, Flanagan is the 8th-ranked tight end in the class of 2023 and signed with the Irish on early signing day.

The Notre Dame football program already has a commitment from Jack Larsen, a top tight end in the class of 2024. Ranked the 3rd best tight end in the nation by 247Sports, Larsen holds offers from Notre Dame, Alabama, Tennessee, Ohio State, and Clemson, to name a few. While we’ve seen how much can change in a year for a recruit, Larsen has built a strong bond with Irish quarterback commit CJ Carr.

Holding the label of “Tight End University,” Notre Dame keeps churning out top prospects from the position at an astounding rate. Even those that weren’t highly successful in college have broken out in the NFL, like Brock Wright. With Wright, Kmet, Tremble, and others, with Michael Mayer joining shortly, the title of “TEU” isn’t leaving anytime soon. The Irish are in a great position with the tight end room moving forward.