Carolina Panthers tight end Mitchell Evans runs downfield after catching a pass during the team’s rookie minicamp practice on Friday, May 9, 2025. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Mitchell Evans was growing at a rapid rate.
As he entered his junior year of high school, the then-quarterback had grown roughly 6 to 7 inches since the start of his freshman campaign. The extreme surge in size put a strain on his back, which affected his throwing ability.
So, with a standout senior already leading the varsity team at quarterback, Wadsworth (Ohio) High School coach Justin Todd had an idea: Evans would move to tight end for the year as he adjusted to his new size and healed his back.
“Knowing how big Mitch was, I said, ‘This could be an opportunity for you to display your athleticism,’” Todd recalled to The Observer.
Evans agreed to the position switch. He embraced the grit of blocking, the nuances of route running and the physicality that it took to play over the middle. And while he would go back to quarterback as a senior — as promised — his junior year at tight end set him up for a trajectory to the NFL. Evans was a fifth-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in April, and had he not made the move to tight end, he probably wouldn’t have made it to professional football.
“All the offers I got, all the talks with the college coaches and their staff was like, ‘Hey, we want you to play tight end here and that’s like what your role is going to be here,’” Evans said.
Evans’ athleticism and size at tight end were matched by his drive and resourcefulness. Once he settled into his new position, he quickly made his own highlight reel on Hudl. That reel led to a plethora of offers from notable Midwest programs and raised his stock within recruiting circles as COVID-19 shut down the traditional trail of campus visits and in-person evaluations.
Evans caught the eye of Notre Dame, an NFL tight end factory of sorts, during his junior campaign, and while he received more than a dozen offers, the quarterback-turned-tight end had his eyes on success beyond the college level. The choice was simple, and ultimately, it’s led him to where he is now.
“Nothing compared to Notre Dame,” Evans said regarding the tight end history. “And so I’m like, if I want to get developed, if I want to be a better person, if I want to be a better man, better player, just also set up for life — Notre Dame is the best option for that. So, definitely, that aspect of the tight end heritage was a factor.”
Mitchell Evans: ‘Fun to watch with the ball in his hands’
Long before Evans’ arrival in Charlotte, he was a wildcat QB at Wadsworth High School in Ohio.
He was a bit smaller than his teammates before his growth spurt, and so there was a lack of clarity as to how he would develop entering his time with the varsity squad. But when the growth came, it was clear to Todd that Evans had a place on the field, no matter the position.
“He grew so much between his freshman year and his junior year that he had not really grown into his body yet,” Todd said. “He had grown height-wise more than he had grown outwards, I guess. And so Mitch, having been a phenomenal athlete, understanding the pass game, and then being a big, physical kid — it was like, well obviously, I’ve got two great quarterbacks, and how does this best serve our football team?”
Tight end Mitchell Evans runs the 40-yard dash during Notre Dame football’s Pro Day at Irish Athletic Center on Thursday, March 27, 2025, in South Bend. MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Athleticism runs in Evans’ family. Both his mom, Jodi, and his sister, Kacie, played college volleyball. Evans also played on the Wadsworth High basketball team.
So, Todd knew Evans could take advantage of his size against smaller defenders. And having played wildcat QB, Todd saw firsthand that Evans could take a hit and surge up the field.
“He was fun to watch with the ball in his hands,” Todd said. “Again, as he battled through an injury his junior year, his catches were pretty limited, and because we thought we could make a run deep into the playoffs, our objective was to get Mitch to the end. … But all of his catches were dynamic, he would make people miss in the open field, and he had no problem running people over.”
Evans also benefited from his quarterback background. He could see the objective of an entire play and process the defense he was facing ahead of the snap. That outlook helped him get acclimated to getting open and making big plays as a receiver.
“I learned the game of football, I feel like, in the lens of a quarterback,” Evans said. “Playing freshman ball, playing (junior varsity) ball as a quarterback, I just tried to learn and understand the game, really. And that just kind of helped me develop as a tight end. Like when I’m out here, I’m seeing the whole picture, not just knowing what I’ve got to do. I see the whole picture. I see what everyone wants to do on offense, and I’m trying to know what everyone’s doing because that only helps me do my job better.”
During his lone high school season at tight end, Evans — in limited action — produced 19 receptions for 306 yards and seven touchdowns. He also ran three times for 61 yards.
Those numbers and Evans’ self-produced reel made him a target for Notre Dame.
The Notre Dame-to-NFL tight end pipeline
Evans arrived at Notre Dame in 2021, missing future Panthers teammate Tommy Tremble by a few months. In a way, Evans was Tremble’s replacement on the depth chart, even if the incoming freshman still had a lot to learn about the position.
The Fighting Irish seemingly send a tight end to the NFL every other year. From Anthony Fasano to John Carlson to Kyle Rudolph to Tyler Eifert to Michael Mayer, the list of Notre Dame alums at the position who have excelled in the NFL is rather long. And if Evans wanted to join that group, he’d need to educate himself on the position beyond what he learned during his one year in high school.
“We watched a lot of (George) Kittle and (Travis) Kelce tape,” Evans said. “How Kelce kind of finessed routes, and how he sees a defense, and how he just finds open space and whatnot. And then, really just kind of Kittle’s just pure blocking ability — like how he finishes blocks, his footwork is phenomenal, how he just understands the concepts of where he needs to go.”
Notre Dame Fighting Irish tight end Mitchell Evans (88) runs after a catch against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second half in the CFP title game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
During his first two college seasons, Evans caught just five passes for 60 yards and touchdown. But as a junior, he became a pivotal part of the offense, picking up 29 catches for 422 yards and a touchdown in just eight games. However, that campaign was cut short in October after Evans suffered an ACL injury that put his senior year in doubt.
But Evans’ drive wouldn’t be stunted. He worked extremely hard in his rehab, and he was able to make it back onto the field in time for Notre Dame’s season opener against Texas A&M this past September.
“For my rehab journey, that was eight and a half, nine months, I was just working back to get on the field and so I can help contribute to the team,” Evans said. “I feel like as the season went on — I got better, got more confident and healthier as the season went on — and I truly feel like I’m better than I was before.”
Evan played in all 16 games of his senior season as the program fought its way to the national championship game against Ohio State. He produced a career-high 43 catches for 421 yards and three touchdowns during his final year with the school.
That season-long performance, including his impressive return from a significant knee injury, put him firmly on the NFL’s radar. It also got him an invite to this year’s Shrine Bowl all-star game in Frisco, Texas.
“We’ve known him for a couple of years now . . . just because of, not only the quality of player that Notre Dame puts out at tight end, but these guys (at Notre Dame) play 11 personnel, 12 personnel and they can do a lot of different things at a high level — not just situational guys,” Shrine Bowl director Eric Galko told The Observer in April. “I think that Mitchell Evans kind of encapsulates that Notre Dame tight end culture.”
Versatility and upside
Evans has grown into his 6-foot-5, 258-pound frame at 22.
He looks the part of an NFL tight end. And as he enters his first set of organized team activities for the Panthers this week, he will fit into a group led by Tremble and second-year playmaker Ja’Tavion Sanders.
Evans will also work with tight ends coach Pat McPherson, who has guided the likes of Jimmy Graham, Colby Parkinson, Will Dissly, Tony Scheffler and more to success in the NFL. And Evans wants to be coached as he looks to excel at the next level.
He also wants to explore his versatility.
“I truly feel like my versatility is my strength,” Evans said. “I know a lot of people kind of doubted my ability to come back from this (ACL) injury, in the pass game specifically, but I truly feel like to elevate my game to the next level I’m going to have to get better at blocking, just kind of get back into it and stuff.
“But I truly feel like my versatility is being able to do both, line up in line, out in space, and be able to create space against linebackers or safeties or be able to block the ends. I feel I can do it all, but I truly feel like my versatility is my greatest strength.”
For what it’s worth, his head coach, Dave Canales, agrees with Evans’ self-assessment. And the Panthers head coach got to see Evans’ skill set firsthand at rookie minicamp earlier this month.
“Just looking at Mitch, what carries over from the film is just a really versatile guy,” Canales said. “Whether it was the individual drills, going through blocking with (tight ends coach) Pat (McPherson), the footwork stuff, and then just being a reliable target. He’s a really smooth mover in his routes, plays compact at the top, so just all of those things, we just felt like a really well-rounded, clean football player and certainly fits into what we do.”
In order for Evans to become a key part of what the Panthers do on Sundays, he will need to hone his craft and stay healthy this summer. While he projects as a primary backup in two-tight end sets, he will need to show he can handle pass protection at the next level before gaining a major role.
And given his QB background, and Canales’ desire to open up the offense with creativity, perhaps Evans can also tap into his wildcat origins if the head coach wants to add a wrinkle to his playbook.
Todd, who saw Evans’ entire QB career in high school, sounds like he’d endorse that type of move.
“I’ll tell you this, at Carolina’s camp, he’s going to have one of the best arms,” Todd said. “He has an absolute rifle — it’s unbelievable.”
The Charlotte Observer
Mike Kaye covers the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer. Kaye previously covered the entire NFL for Pro Football Network, the Philadelphia Eagles for NJ Advance Media and the Jacksonville Jaguars for First Coast News. He is a graduate of the University of North Florida.