Notre Dame Notebook: Gerad Parker Talks Michael Mayer, Freshman Tight Ends, Kevin Bauman

Notre Dame tight ends coach Gerad Parker had a lot to discuss after a recent Irish practice

Like so many first year Notre Dame assistant coaches, Fighting Irish tight ends coach Gerad Parker seemingly made a seamless transition in his first fall training camp. Parker tutors one of the top tight ends in the nation every day and also has some of the top young talent to work with. He spoke with the media after Wednesday’s practice to discuss many of those players.

Michael Mayer And Tight End U

Irish All-American candidate Michael Mayer attended something called “Tight End U” in Nashville, Tenn. this summer. The second annual event is the brain child of San Fransisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, Kansas City Chief Travis Kelce and former NFL tight end Greg Olsen.

Mayer was one of around 90 tight ends to workout with some of the best in the business this summer.

"It's no surprise as to who he has become and who he will be,” Parker said of Mayer. "I think the biggest change for him maybe that he's been he's been a more vocal leader. He has been outspoken in a good way. And of course his play helps that as well. But he really has made a point to be a better vocal leader and help this offense grow. He's done that to this point, and I think that's been the biggest growth he would say.

"And then as far as his game technically, I think just going and being in that environment this summer allowed him just to see a glimpse of what's maybe next, which is good if you can just glimpse it and then keep it there and come back and go to work,” Parker continued. "He now knows what's reachable, what this looks like ,what those guys who are pros already are. I think it just allowed him to take another step mentally to say I need to do this better and do this more. And I'm on my way to becoming one of those guys.”

Parker Has The Best Job In The World

Notre Dame wide receivers coach Chansi Stuckey recently joked that Parker has “the best job in the world," because of the talent in the tight end room that Parker gets to work with every day. Parker had his own take on how he took that comment.

"We didn't get to talk about it,” Parker said. "Yes. I saw it. I know it's fun. So it's fun. But it's like I was telling downstairs, somebody said something about that and believe me I'm not sensitive. But that precursor, put that on Twitter first, but I'll say this, it’s like saying, well, Mike’s going to make great plays this year. And everybody will say, well, that's just what Mike does. I'm like, hold on a second. It's far more than that. Like this guy puts himself in a position to do these things through a really good plan in his route game through his work and what he does with his hands and feet and all these things that are a true testament. He's technically sound and he's gifted.

"Although it's been a great, great pleasure to be able to walk in and coach Michael Mayer and all these other guys, the challenge for me is you all, my family, my wife, and the wonderful fan base of Notre Dame,” he continued. "I hope at the end of this year, you see an even better player because that's the challenge. I've somehow got to make sure that we make him and the room better to where everybody sees that. That's my job, and listen, every day because he's so good. I hit my feet on the floor, I need to make sure that room gets better, including him. So that's how I'll answer that, but I laughed and smiled. It's good.”

On Eli Raridon And Holden Staes

Freshmen Eli Raridon and Holden Staes both had good first fall training camps at Notre Dame. Raridon is just a shade under 6-7 and weighs 245 pounds, while Staes goes 6-4, 226. Parker spent a little time breaking each of them down.

"I would say just start with Eli Raridon,” began Parker. ".... All of it's got to come together, we're not there yet, but as far as his skill set right now he already has the ability to build this great base with his body and feet are in the ground. He is already strong and physically gifted with his weight. He's going to be able to really own the line of scrimmage and become a really, really exceptional player on the line of scrimmage in the run game. But he also can run, you know? And he's got really good. The thing that sticks out he has really good ball skills. So if you add that together what we just talked about with ball skills and now if we get them educated you know there's a lot of reasons to believe so.

"And then you go to Holden Staes,” Parker continued "(He has) elite ball skills as well, elevates and catches the ball above his head as good as anybody I've coached or been around. Great feet, learning how to have a good route plan if he does that, and then can be an adequate blocker, which has shown that he isn't scared to stick his face in it and he's eager. There's reasons to believe that for those reasons that both of them are going to be good players.”

Michael Mayer is the number one tight end and Kevin Bauman is right behind him, with Cane Berrong in the mix. Parker discusses how the two freshmen could get on the field sooner than later.

"What a great job that staff has done recruiting that position,” Parker said. "Let's be honest, and the two guys are great looking kids. They're eager. They work. They want to learn, they want to be great, you name it, they're all there. So, what's the things they got to do as a young pup is just, hey, we got to learn how to do this and then why we're doing it and then figure out why to do it when and that's what they're going to struggle with.

"And when that pairs together enough to where you can build trust to know hey, let's put them out there and let them learn on the on the grass on game day,” he continued. "That'll be the kicker, and they're going to get the opportunity to do that because they've earned it but just on the front end of this, they're eager they work and they've got the genetic makeup to be great players here and in the tight end room.”

Can Raridon and Staes know just bits and pieces of the offense to get on the field or do they have to know the whole concept before they can play?

It’s pretty well documented that many talented freshman offensive players didn’t see the field, because they didn’t know the full offense. Will the freshmen tight ends be held to that kind of standard now?

"I would say that, based off who we are right now, that we will start to compartmentalize things and let them have pieces,” Parker said. "Because we do believe at this point with where we're at, there's times within this year whenever that is, that they're both going to have to get out there and do it and feel what it is to feel it and take some things. So, it's our opinion that it would be to get them there by compartmentalizing some things instead of just making them feel like they got to know the whole the whole thing. I don't think that's fair with what we do.”

On Kevin Bauman

Now a junior, Bauman had a good fall camp last year. Then he broke his leg in the season opener at Florida State. Bauman missed seven straight games before playing again against Navy. He ultimately played in four of Notre Dame’s final five games in 2021. He enters the season as the No. 2 tight end, behind Mayer.

"This is going to be his first meaningful reps and what he has done to make himself a play I think the biggest thing is he's really grown real confidence by taking real reps, and taking good reps and playing well but also making some mistakes,” said Parker. "And those things and growing from them and realizing that's the only way he's gonna be able to get to where he wants to be as a player.

“I'm just so proud of him,” Parker said. “I think he's really grown up and matured and handled, you know when things don't go exactly right that he can you know... I think a big reason of meeting him would be, words like 'I think' or 'I thought that was okay' and I'm like Kev, don't think it is, just say it is because you *know* it is and if it's not we can fix it. So, I think just his growth in belief has helped him and then he's made himself a little bit player by technically improving skills.”

On Mitchell Evans' Possible Return

Parker updated the status of the sophomore tight end, who required surgery after breaking his foot in mid-July.

"It's too early to say and I wouldn't feel comfortable to be able to (say) but we expect to get him back this season and when it'll all depend on things we don't know yet,” Parker said. “But he's doing a great job with what he can do and prepare and he's been awesome in meetings and he obviously put himself in a position through spring. He's going to be a great player.”

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