Wadsworth native and Notre Dame tight end Mitchell Evans, a 2021 graduate of Wadsworth High School, will play in the College Football National Championship against The Ohio State Buckeyes in Atlanta, marking a pivotal moment in his career.
Evans’ athletic career at Notre Dame has been nothing short of impressive. In 2024, he was named one of the eight semifinalists for the Mackey Award, an honor given to the best tight end in college football. As of the Orange Bowl, Evans is ranked as the 163rd best player in the 2025 NFL Draft, according to ESPN.
“He’s one of the greatest athletes we’ve ever had,” said Justin Todd, the head football coach at Wadsworth High School.
Mitchell Evans has always been a dynamic athlete, playing many different positions in his football career. Starting as a running back, he would eventually play the positions of quarterback, punter, and, of course, tight end.
Coming out of high school, Mitchell Evans was ranked as the 22 best tight end in the country. Now, he is the starting tight end for a team playing in the National Championship.
“The thing that makes me the most proud about Mitch is that he never lost sight of who he is and where he came from,” Todd said.
Evans was a captain in his senior year and has maintained a strong connection with his high school roots.
“He’ll still return my calls and text messages… he never forgot about the people that were built into his life at an early age that helped him become the man he is,” Todd said.
Athletics run deep in the Evans family. His father, Adam Evans, played football for the University of Pennsylvania and Kent State University, while his mother, Jodi Evans, played volleyball at the University of Akron.
“Ecstatic, unbelievable,” Jodi Evans said of her son’s accomplishments.
Kacie Evans, Mitchell Evans older sister, is an impressive athlete in her own right, playing volleyball professionally for the Atlanta Vibe and being a standout player while at the University of Georgia.
“He’s a very humble, confident person,” Kacie Evans said. “He’s worked hard to get recognition [from college recruiters] and a lot of people know.”
Like most siblings, Evans and his sister had a competitive rivalry that truly brought out the best in both of their games. Kacie Evans said that they often compared who got a certain amount of points compared to football yards.
“I think we were both competing with each other, though it wasn’t like we wouldn’t butt heads,” Kacie Evans said.
In an interview with the Bruin during Mitchell Evans’ senior year at Wadsworth, he explained what drew him to Notre Dame the first time he visited.
“Their campus was amazing, by far the most beautiful campus that I have ever been to,” Evans said in 2020. “I also didn’t want go to school just for football, I was looking for an elite education and Notre Dame has that.”
Just over four year later, he still believes he made the right choice and he emphasized how much Notre Dame has helped him succeed.
“I felt like Notre Dame was one of the best schools in the country for the player I want to be,” Mitchell Evans said. He also embraced the “tight end U” culture at Notre Dame, referring to the program’s history of producing top-tier tight ends.
Mitchell Evans credits his choice to attend Notre Dame to its reputation as a school that prioritizes tight end play and provides a strong pathway to the NFL.
Tyler Eifert, Cole Kmet and Tommy Tremble were all Notre Dame tight ends who have successfully made it onto NFL rosters. In 2021, when Evans made his commitment to Notre Dame, the starting tight end was Micheal Mayer, who would be drafted in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft by the Las Vegas Raiders.
“He always wanted to go to a team that featured tight ends and he knew it would help him get into the NFL,” Adam Evans said.
Mitchell Evans has come a long way from his hometown and on January 20, 2025, he will become the first Wadsworth Grizzly ever to start in the Division I National Championship Game. His appearance in the game marks the culmination of years of hard work and development, and the Evans family will be there to support him in Atlanta.
“It just feels special here,” Mitchell Evans said about playing for Notre Dame.
