When Chip Long was relieved of his offensive coordinator duties in early December there was a small window between his firing and the early signing period taking place.
We all know now that Notre Dame not only kept the entire anticipated class in place but actually added an extra player when corner back Ramon Henderson from Bakersfield, California committed.
The wound up that way but not by the choice of a couple Mid-west powerhouses.
After Chip Long was let go we have learned from Tom Loy at 247Sports that both Michigan and Penn State checked in on then-commit, tight end Michael Mayer (Covington Catholic, Alexandria, KY) ahead of signing day.
“Michigan was big-time on me. Coach Sherron Moore, the tight ends coach,” said Mayer, when asked who reached out when Long was fired. “Penn State reached out. Kentucky too. Penn State was my No. 2 school and I had a great relationship with coach Bowen” – Michael Mayer to 247Sports
It’s worth checking out the article (linked above) to the 247Sports/Irish Illustrated piece. In it Mayer discusses what he thinks Chris Tyree so special, why he stayed loyal to Notre Dame and why he didn’t push things back until February’s signing period.
247Sports rated Mayer, Kentucky’s High School Player of the Year this past fall and a four-star prospect as the second best tight end in the 2020 recruiting class.