Mitchell Evans Progressing to Larger Role, Focused on Notre Dame Offensive Communication
Mitchell Evans has been on a journey since he tore his ACL last October, but the Ohio native worked his way back and has played in the first two games of 2024.
Now, the 6-foot-5, 260-pounder has played just 32 snaps this year, but it appears Evans is close to increasing his workload as the Irish offense desperately needs him on the field.
“They didn’t want me not to play, then play 60 snaps because that would probably not be the smartest idea,” Evans stated of Notre Dame’s plan for him. “Doing all of these tests, we found that this is the best way to gradually increase my reps. I’m always communicating with them to make sure I feel good while I’m doing it. Every day, I felt better and better, so it increased more and more.”
Evans made his first catch of the season against NIU and it was the first moment where he truly felt back as it went for a first down, but it also was able to get hit.
“One of the jokes I had coming back was I hadn’t been hit yet,” laughed Evans. “On that first one, I got in the back and was like, oh, I kind of forgot what it was like to get hit. Just felt good to be back out there and felt like it was right.”
If Evans can increase his workload, the Notre Dame offense will benefit in multiple ways. Riley Leonard would have one of the more dynamic tight ends in the country as an option in the pass game, while the young Irish offensive line would get some much-needed help in the run game.
Over the first two weeks, Evans has tried to help the younger players in his room and on the offensive line. Yet, all the advice in the world doesn’t matter, as live reps are the key for both groups to grow together.
“Talking to some young guys, it was their first experience, and they were like, ‘holy shit,’” said Evans. “That’s a big-time game with the atmosphere. At the end of the day, just tell them it’s nothing really different than what you’ve been your whole time playing football. There's no crazy scheme, crazy play, at the end of the day it’s the same thing that you’ve done since you were little.
“Just do your thing, be where your feet are. Don’t be worrying about the last play, don’t be worrying about the next, be doing what you’re doing right now and the rest will take care of itself.”
Despite the inexperience on the offensive line, Evans didn’t believe that led to NIU upsetting the Irish inside Notre Dame Stadium last weekend.
“I mean, it is what it is,” Evans explained. “I don’t think inexperience had to play a role with it. That team was a good team. NIU is a great team. I don’t know how long they’ve been together, how many seniors they’ve had, or juniors they’ve had or guys that have played a lot. That was a good football team. I don’t think experience had a really big role in that and what happened.”
Words only mean so much after an embarrassing loss, but Evans and Notre Dame’s leaders made sure to communicate a strong message to the program this week.
“We all felt the same thing,” stated Evans. “We felt like crap a little bit. Take that feeling and use that to propel us not just this week but the rest of the season because we never want to feel like that again. That was a pretty bad feeling. I still am feeling it now.
“I’m trying to take that and use it as motivation myself. We are all trying to remind each other we can’t feel like that. That’s like when you’re taking five plays in a row and you’re feeling it on the fifth play, remember that feeling and it won’t happen again.”
As a senior, Evans admits this loss feels a little different as his time in South Bend is coming to an end.
“It’s my last year,” Evans said. “There’s always a little amplitude of a loss. I don’t have next year. Just trying to take that feeling and run with it and make sure we don’t feel like that again.”
Notre Dame’s offense will be counted on doing its job, and that starts this Saturday at Purdue. The key to getting over the hump? Communication.
“Always be in communication,” said Evans. “Don’t go in a series without communicating what we’re seeing on the field because you can practice so much in practice with how you scout, the looks you’re going to run, but they’re scouting you too, so they’re going change some things and it’s not going to be as perfect as it was in practice.
“I’m always trying to find ways of communicating, especially now with iPads. Always talking about what you’re seeing, what you’re thinking to do with this look, it’s adjusting and adapting.”
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