The 6-4 232 pound Michael Mayer was a five-star recruit and the No. 32 recruit in the nation as a member of the University of Notre Dame’s 2020 recruiting class. During his time at Notre Dame, he added size and strength. Currently, Mayer is listed at 6-5 and 249 pounds at the 2023 NFL Combine. He is from Independence, Kentucky and played high school football at Covington Catholic.
In 2022, his junior season at ND, Mayer played in 12 games and caught 67 passes for 809 yards. He also averaged 12.1 yards per catch, and scored nine touchdowns. One season previous in 2021, Mayer started 12 games and caught 71 passes for 840 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 11.8 yards per catch. Given his prolific collegiate production profile, some argued Mayer was the best tight end prospect in a loaded 2023 tight end draft class. The Raiders selected Mayer at the 2.04, making him the third tight end selected in the Draft behind Dalton Kincaid and Sam LaPorta. Mayer started slow in his rookie season, recording just 27 catches for 304 yards and two touchdowns. Aidan O'Connell was the starter at QB for the majority of the season. Josh McDaniels was relieved of his duties as head coach and the team will enter the 2024 season with Antonio Pierce as their new head coach and uncertainty at QB.
