Of no real surprise, Notre Dame junior tight end Michael Mayer has declared for the 2023 NFL draft.
The Covington Catholic grad made things official on Wednesday.
“It has been an honor to wear the gold helmet and share a locker room with my brothers the last three years,” Meyer posted on Twitter. “I want to say thank you to all my coaches, staff and of course my teammates for making my Notre Dame experience unforgettable. I will always be grateful to be Irish! I also want to express my gratitude to my family and friends. They have supported me all throughout my life, but especially in empowering me to pursue my dreams. The time has come for me to start the next chapter of my career. I’m excited to announce my intentions to the 2023 NFL Draft.”
Mayer has been the most productive tight end in Notre Dame history in his three seasons with the Irish, collecting the most receiving yards all-time (2,009) receptions (180) and touchdowns (18). His 180 receptions are third all-time in the program.
He’s projected as the top tight end to be selected in the draft and has the potential to be the highest draft pick out of Northern Kentucky. Boone County’s Irv Goode was selected 12th in the 1962 NFL draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. Another Boone County grad, Shaun Alexander was picked 19th by the Seattle Seahawks in 2000. Mayer is No. 8 on ESPN’s Mel Kiper’s Big Board.
Mayer was the 2019 Kentucky Mr. Football and also won the 2019 Gatorade Kentucky Football Player of the Year after recording 50 receptions for 970 yards and 15 touchdowns. In his Colonels career, Mayer recorded 110 receptions, 2,231 yards and 30 touchdowns, winning Class 5A titles in 2017 and ’19.
Mayer will be skipping the Irish’s bowl game against South Carolina on December 30 in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, and will start working out and preparing for the NFL Combine in January, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. The NFL Combine is held February 28-March 6 in Indianapolis. The NFL Draft starts on April 27 in Kansas City.