Tag: Mitchell Evans

10 players for Packers fans to monitor on East roster during Shrine Bowl week

Ten players to watch from the East’s roster during East-West Shrine Bowl week.

The East-West Shrine Bowl practices start on Saturday with the game scheduled to take place on Thursday, January 30th at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Zach Tom, Edgerrin Cooper, Jon Runayn Jr, Samori Toure, Ka’Dar Hollman, James Looney and Hunter Bradley are all draft picks who played in the Shrine Bowl that Brian Gutekunst has selected.

Let’s take a look at 10 players from the East roster who could be potential targets for the Green Bay Packers during the 2025 NFL Draft.

With the Packers having assistant coaches in charge of the offensive line group and linebacker group for the East roster, there won’t be any linebackers or offensive linemen on this list.

Mello Dotson, CB, Kansas

Dotson plays the ball like a wide receiver and finished the past two seasons with four interceptions and 18 pass deflections. He shows good route recognition and has the reactionary quickness to disrupt the catch point.

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Fadil Diggs, Edge, Syracuse

Diggs looks like he was sent from central casting. He checks in at 6-5 and 260 pounds. A Texas A&M transfer, Diggs recorded 14 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and 42 pressures.

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Tyler Baron, Edge, Miami

A transfer from Tennessee, Baron recorded 11 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks during his lone season in Miami. Baron owns an NFL frame, standing at 6-5 and weighing in at 260 pounds. He has a good blend of speed and power.

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Warren Brinson, DT, Georgia

Brinson is stout run defender. He’s powerful at the point of attack and has the power to reset the line of scrimmage and stays balanced through contact.

O’Donnell Fortune, CB, South Carolina

Fortune is a feisty cornerback with plus ball skills, who recorded seven interceptions over the past three seasons for the Gamecocks. Fortune got the call up from the Hula Bowl to compete down in Texas this week.

Nick Nash, WR, San Jose State

A former quarterback, Nash looks like a natural at wide receiver. He finished this past season as the FBS leader in receptions (104), receiving yards (1,382) and receiving touchdowns (16).

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Jaydon Blue, RB, Texas

The Texas running back has home run speed and is shifty in space to make defenders whiff. According to Pro Football Focus, Blue finished this past season with 517 yards after contact and forced 37 missed tackles.

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Johnny Walker Jr, Edge, Missouri

The Missouri edge rusher finished this past season with 12.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. He takes strong angles to the quarterback and has physical hands.

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Nazir Stackhouse, DT, Georgia

Stackhouse is a brick house. The Georgia defensive tackle can be hard to uproot and eats up double teams for the Bulldogs. Stackhouse controls his gap and could be a potential replacement for TJ Slaton.

Mitchell Evans, TE, Notre Dame

Standing at 6-5, Evans looks the part. Over the past two seasons, the Notre Dame tight end has hauled in 72 receptions for 843 yards and four touchdowns.

Notre Dame vs. Ohio State: Second-Quarter Analysis

Do the Irish have a miracle in them in the second half?

If Notre Dame thought the opening drive of the College Football Playoff title game meant the whole thing would be easy, it was wrong. Even if it didn’t think that, it knew what Ohio State was capable of once it got the ball. Case in point, the Buckeyes have a 21-7 halftime lead.

Early in the second quarter, the Buckeyes finished their first offensive drive that began in the first quarter with a 5-yard touchdown run by Quinshon Judkins to tie the game. So both teams have drawn blood during their first turns with the ball.

The tide finally turned when the Irish, aided by a couple of damaging penalties, couldn’t pick up a first down on their second possession. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, saw their second possession last over six minutes wit a mix of runs and passes, and they converted on two third downs en route to Judkins scoring his second touchdown on a first-and-goal from the 9-yard line.

The Irish responded by going three-and-out again, and they nearly had a costly turnover when [autotag]Mitchell Evans[/autotag] got in the way of a snap while in motion. While there was no turnover on the play, it was a metaphor for what had become of the Irish’s offense.

The defense was a little better when the Buckeyes got the ball back, but it still gave up a couple of third-down conversions. That allowed the Buckeyes’ offense to find its footing, and it never saw another third down the rest of the drive. That meant another touchdown, and it was Judkins’ third of the quarter, this time on a 6-yard pass from Will Howard.

The Irish’s offense conceded the rest of the half, even with the knowledge that the Buckeyes will get the ball to begin the second half. Needless to say, the Irish have a lot of work to do to regain control of this game. Otherwise, the Buckeyes will be celebrating at the end of it.

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NFL draft profile and projection for tight end Mitchell Evans

Check out our NFL draft profile on position first name last name.

The College Football Playoff will feature plenty of top NFL talents, whether they are eligible or not. This is the talent level you expect to see in a game of caliber.

Senior tight end Mitchell Evans had high expectations as evident with his preseason All-American honors. The production on a per-game basis wasn’t there this season but he did score three touchdowns as compared to one a season ago. Evans needs to put on a show in the title game and potentially during the offseason process.

As a true senior, Mitchell Evans’ only viable path forward is heading to the NFL with no college eligibility left on the table.

Mitchell Evans, Tight End

Draft Projection: Round 6

Evans is among the best weapons for Riley Lenoard in certain situations. He has a high ceiling and one should believe we have only scratched the surface with Evans. In a more high-volume passing attack, the 6-foot-5-inch tight end would likely see more targets going his way. The Irish are no stranger to producing tight ends that make an impact at the next level.

Notre Dame Week 14 highlight: Riley Leonard finds Mitchell Evans for key TD

Notre Dame got a key TD catch from Mitchell Evans.

Notre Dame and USC are engaged in a shootout in Los Angeles, but the No. 5 Fighting Irish have given themselves a little bit of separation after quarterback [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] found tight end [autotag]Mitchell Evans[/autotag] for a 23-yard touchdown reception.

The score, and the preceding drive, followed a stand by the Irish defense after Leonard tossed an ill-advised interception. USC had a shot to tie the game, but failed to convert on fourth down.

Notre Dame responded with a 3-play, 62-yard drive that burned 1:06 off the clock and ended in the Leonard-to-Mitchell connection.

The pass followed a 35-yard run by [autotag]Jadarian Price[/autotag].

Notre Dame tight end Mitchell Evans (88) jumps up to make a catch that would later be ruled incomplete during a NCAA college football game against Florida State at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in South Bend.

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Notre Dame Week 14 highlight — risky fake punt call pays off against USC

Notre Dame fakes a punt successfully at USC.

Calling a fake punt deep in your own territory, in a tie game, on the road, is a risky proposition. Heck, fake punts are almost always risky propositions.

Yet the No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish pulled one off on the road against the USC Trojans in the second quarter.

Facing fourth-down-and-nine from their own 26-yard line, the Irish had [autotag]Tyler Buchner[/autotag] take the snap and pass. He found tight end [autotag]Mitchell Evans [/autotag]wide open for 18 yards and the drive stayed alive.

Unfortunately for the Irish, the drive ended with a missed chip-shot field goal from kicker [autotag]Mitch Jeter[/autotag], who has been playing hurt.

Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner enters the transfer portal with a caveat
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA – APRIL 22: Tyler Buchner #12 of Notre Dame Fighting Irish passes during the Notre Dame Blue-Gold Spring Football Game at Notre Dame Stadium on April 22, 2023 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

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Notre Dame statistical leaders through 11 games

Who leads the Irish heading into the final regular-season contest?

Notre Dame has its fate in its own hands for the College Football Playoff. All it needs to do is defeat USC, and a first-round game at Notre Dame Stadium appears to be a certainty. Who would have thought the Irish would be in such a good position after the loss to Northern Illinois threatened to derail their season early?

The Irish can’t afford to get complacent though. The Trojans have not had a great season, but dealing the Irish a loss that could threaten their playoff chances would make up for everything that has gone wrong for them. That’s why the Irish will need to prepare for them like they would for any ranked team, and the talent they have should allow them to emerge victorious.

Here are the major statistical leaders the Irish are taking into their regular-season finale. Not all of them will be available, but they’re fun to see nonetheless:

Notre Dame Week 12 highlight: Mitchell Evans jumps it in

Notre Dame’s Mitchell Evans cashed in a turnover.

No. 8 Notre Dame spent the end of the first half taking the ball away from the Virginia Cavaliers, and the Fighting Irish also scored off of those turnovers.

After [autotag]Leonard Moore [/autotag] took the ball away from Virginia, tight [autotag]Mitchell Evans[/autotag] caught a pass from Notre Dame quarterback [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] and dove into the end zone for a 16-yard score.

That capped a 3-play, 32-yard drive that took 34 seconds off the clock.

The touchdown gave the Irish a 28-0 lead late in the second quarter.

Nov 9, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish tight end Mitchell Evans (88) scores a touchdown against Florida State Seminoles linebacker Omar Graham Jr. (9) in the second quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

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Notre Dame vs. Virginia: Second-Quarter Analysis

This quarter lasted over an hour and was quite crazy.

If you were hoping for more action between Notre Dame and Virginia in the second quarter, you would have gotten some. In a quarter that lasted over an hour in real time, the Irish had one crazy moment after another, and it ended with them holding a 28-0 halftime lead.

Both teams continued to struggle offensively for the first few minutes. After [autotag]Max Hurleman[/autotag] muffed a punt and the Cavaliers recovered, the Irish’s 7-0 lead appeared to be in jeopardy. But the Irish took the ball right back a few plays later when [autotag]Rod Heard II[/autotag] forced a Kobe Pace fumble that was recovered by [autotag]Xavier Watts[/autotag].

The difference between the two turnovers is that the Irish took advantage. Their offense had its most productive drive of the day, and it culminated when [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] hit [autotag]Jayden Harrison[/autotag] for an 8-yard touchdown.

On the next possession, Leonard fired another apparent touchdown pass to Harrison from 78 yards out, but it was wiped out when [autotag]Pat Coogan[/autotag] was penalized for illegal hands to the face.

Another apparent touchdown then was wiped out after a very confusing sequence. Faced with fourth-and-11, the Irish opted to fake a punt and try a fumblerooski, and [autotag]Jordan Faison[/autotag] ran the ball 73 yards to the house. However, the officials called it back for illegal formation, much to the chagrin of the Notre Dame Stadium fans and the NBC announcers.

But that touchdown was dying to be scored, and it finally was after [autotag]Adon Shuler[/autotag] returned an interception 46 yards and Leonard immediately faked a handoff before firing to an open [autotag]Cooper Flanagan[/autotag] in the end zone from 2 yards out.

The Irish weren’t finished though. Anthony Colandrea threw another interception, this one to [autotag]Leonard Moore[/autotag]. On the final of three subsequent passes, [autotag]Mitchell Evans[/autotag] had a 16-yard touchdown.

Colandrea kept feeling generous though because Watts picked off another one of his passes in the waning seconds of the quarter. Although [autotag]Mitch Jeter[/autotag] missed a 54-yard field goal as time expired, the Irish still deserved a rest in the locker room after everything that had just happened.

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Notre Dame Week 11 highlight — Mitchell Evans gets first touchdown of the season

Mitchell Evans has his first TD of the season for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

[autotag]Mitchell Evan’s[/autotag] first touchdown of the season came at a very good time for the No. 10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

It looked like the Irish might have a drive stall before halftime against the Florida State Seminoles. Notre Dame appeared ready to attempt a FG, then took a timeout and decided to go for it on fourth down. A [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] pass to [autotag]Jordan Faison[/autotag] converted, but the Seminoles also had 12 men on the field and were penalized.

Leonard hit Evans for a 12-yard touchdown pass on the next play, ending a 12-play, 77-yard drive that took 1:31 off the clock.

Notre Dame leads the Seminoles 21-3 at the halftime break.

Notre Dame has six named to PFF’s top returning players for 2024
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY – OCTOBER 07: Mitchell Evans #88 of Notre Dame Fighting Irish against the Louisville Cardinals at L&N Stadium on October 07, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

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Notre Dame vs. Florida State: Second-Quarter Analysis

The Irish are up with 30 minutes in the books.

(This story was updated to add new information).

[autotag]Jadarian Price[/autotag] wanted to finish what he started for Notre Dame late in the first quarter. On the first play of the second quarter, he ran for 65 yards and initially appeared to have just missed the end zone.

But a replay review confirmed Price had kept his foot in bounds, so he had a touchdown to extend the Irish’s lead over Florida State to 14-3.

There wasn’t a lot of action to speak of for a while after that, though the Irish’s defense had an interesting sequence. After [autotag]Howard Cross III[/autotag] went out with an injury, [autotag]Rylie Mills[/autotag] picked him up with back-to-back sacks on Brock Glenn to unseat Cross as the Irish’s sacks leader.

After getting close to Seminoles punter Alex Mastromanno a few times, [autotag]Adon Shuler[/autotag] got a piece of a punt, and that allowed the Irish’s offense to start a drive at midfield. It didn’t mean a thing though as the Irish never reached the red zone, and a [autotag]Mitch Jeter[/autotag] 42-yard field-goal attempt went wide left.

[autotag]Donovan Hinish[/autotag] recorded another sack on Glenn to force another Seminoles punt. The Irish had to start further back than before this time, and with time running out, they opted to go for it on a fourth-and-10 from the Seminoles 34-yard line after a timeout.

The Seminoles were flagged for having 12 men on the field, and the Irish  picked up a first down when Leonard completed a 22-yard pass to [autotag]Jordan Faison[/autotag]. Leonard took full advantage by promptly hitting [autotag]Mitchell Evans[/autotag] with a 12-yard touchdown.

The Irish are up, 21-3, at halftime. The way the Seminoles have played offense, that looks like a safe lead, but we’ll see.

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