Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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32 MARCH 2020 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2020 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY MIKE SINGER You can't blame Kevin Bauman if he feels like he has something to prove. The Red Bank (N.J.) Catholic tight end racked up offers from programs such as Michigan, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Virginia and West Virginia be- fore committing to Notre Dame in June 2018. Rivals considers him the No. 5 tight end and No. 129 overall pros- pect nationally. He played a huge role on both sides of the ball while helping his team win the Non-Public Group 3 state championship as a ju- nior in 2018, and racked up all-state honors throughout his career. But the four-star recruit is still overshadowed, and some of it is un- derstandable. Notre Dame's other tight end signee in the 2020 class is Michael Mayer, an All-American Bowl participant and the 2019 Ken- tucky Gatorade Player of the Year. Mayer is an incredible prospect, but Bauman is highly regarded in his own right. He caught four passes for 38 yards in the Polynesian Bowl, proving to the country that he was more than capable of playing in an All-American setting. Bauman and Mayer committed to Notre Dame around the same time, and they have been able to build a strong relationship. The two four-star recruits have the skills and unselfish- ness to complement each other in South Bend. "We both have the ability to play in-line as well as splitting out," Bau- man said. "Being able to play in both the run game and pass game re- ally gives us the chance to be on the field together." " We ' r e b o t h so diverse in our games. We know b i g t h i n g s a re ahead." Bauman com- mitted to Notre D a m e b e f o r e his junior cam- paign, and while o t h e r s c h o o l s hoped that the 6-4, 226-pounder would rethink his pledge, he stuck true to his word. Just a couple hours after news broke that Chip Long would no longer be Notre Dame's offensive coordinator, Bauman hosted head coach Brian Kelly and then-quarter- backs coach Tommy Rees for an in- home visit. Kelly brought up the Long news and kept it brief yet honest. "He wanted us to hear it from them," Bauman said. "They're excited to get me there, and we talked about next year — going to some big venues and heading to Ireland. We had some ca- sual conversations and it was a really cool experience." B a u m a n t o o k s e v e r a l v i s i t s to Notre Dame th rough out h is t i m e i n h i g h s c h o o l , a n d a memorable mo- ment was his offi- cial visit. He was on campus for the weekend of the USC game Oct. 12, a 30-27 triumph for the Irish. "It was a little b i t m o r e s p e - cial than other visits," Bauman explained. "My whole family was there, and I got to spend a lot of time with the team and other commits. "I got to show some of my family around that hadn't seen it all. It was definitely a great weekend." ✦ Kevin Bauman Brings Inside-Outside Skills At Tight End Bauman, a 6-4, 226-pounder from Red Bank (N.J.) Catholic, is the nation's No. 5-rated tight end according to Rivals. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM KEVIN BAUMAN TIGHT END 6-4 · 226 RED BANK CATHOLIC RED BANK, N.J. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 129 5 3 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 269 5 8 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 22 12 STATISTICS • Hauled in 50 receptions for 938 yards and 13 touchdowns during his high school varsity career. • Caught 15 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns during his senior year. Also notched 63 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and 11 sacks on defense. • Helped Red Bank Catholic win the Non-Public Group 3 state title in 2018. NOTABLE • Born on Nov. 5, 2001 • 2019 USA Today All-New Jersey first-team offense • Selected as a New Jersey Mini Max Award recipient from the Maxwell Football Club, which recognizes athletics achievement, academics and community service • Finalist for the 2019 Maxwell New Jersey Player of the Year • 2017, 2018 and 2019 first-team All-Shore selection • 2019 NJ.com first-team All-State • From the same high school as former Notre Dame All-American offensive lineman Quenton Nelson (2014-17) • Also plays basketball for Red Bank Catholic ALL-STAR GAMES • Selected to the 2020 Polynesian Bowl Jan. 18 in Hawai'i and caught four passes for 38 yards RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on June 13, 2018. • Also held offers from Boston College, Michi- gan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Texas A&M, West Virginia and others. • Committed to the Fighting Irish just two weeks after landing a scholarship offer from Notre Dame. • Recruited by former Irish offensive coordina- tor Chip Long, but had an in-home visit with Brian Kelly just two hours after the news of Long's de- parture broke. • Stayed strong with his Irish commitment and signed in December. 2020 PROJECTION • Bauman is expected to redshirt as a freshman. THEY SAID IT Red Bank Catholic head coach Frank Edgerly: "Physically, he's gifted. He's big, strong and ath- letic, but it's those things he does that separates him from a lot of great players. He continues to evolve and emerge and takes steps forward." National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming: "He shows very good strength coming off the ball and is a reliable run blocker when given the chance. He shows a strong pair of hands, good work ethic and big-time speed. "He's a natural pass catcher and fluid athlete with good feeling for setting up routes. Kevin knows how to get himself open and transitions fluidly from receiver to runner after the catch."