2020 TE Commit Kevin Bauman Looking Forward To "Best Offseason Yet"

With at least 90 percent of Notre Dame’s 2019 recruiting class having already signed, the next crop of commits sits in the Class of 2020 with quarterback Drew Pyne‍ and tight ends Michael Mayer‍ and Kevin Bauman‍.

“It’s awesome,” Bauman said of having his class next up in terms of recruiting. “There are three of us. We’re just excited to watch this class take off. We’re off to a great start and we can’t wait to see what we reach.”

The New Jersey native said he, Pyne and Mayer have become “really close” over the last several months.

“With social media and everything, it’s a real advantage,” Bauman said of building those relationships. “It feels like I’ve known these guys for a really long time. I got a chance to meet Drew at the Yankee Stadium game and I’ve been talking back and forth with Mike over the last few months. We’ve become very close and talk regularly.”

The Red Bank Catholic standout who committed to Notre Dame back in June is currently playing basketball.

“We’re 8-1 right now,” he said. “We just won a Christmas Tournament, called the WOBM Christmas Classic. It was the first time the school has ever won that tournament. We won on a last-second shot.”

Bauman played a key role in that buzzer-beater, breaking up a pass immediately before the winning shot.

“It’s been fun so far,” he said of the basketball season.

But the 6-foot-5, 230-pound junior also believe it helps him tremendously for football.

“First of all, it’s just staying in shape, staying active,” he said. “Also, a lot of the fundamentals of the game can be brought over to the football field and vice versa in terms of boxing out and grabbing rebounds and finishing strong and running up and down the court, playing defense, getting low. It all really carries over.”

When basketball is over, he’ll focus his spring and summer on getting ready for football. He said he’s going to work on “everything.”

“I’m real excited for this offseason,” he continued. “We’ve already gotten to work. I’m just really excited. It’s going to be my best offseason yet. That just all leads up to my senior year football season. Just working a lot on speed and explosion and all of the little technique stuff.”

Bauman also plans to return to South Bend this offseason, but doesn’t know exactly when.

“I’m sure we’ll get back up there, but as of right now, we have no set plans.”