Third Notre Dame veteran drafted with Jarrett Patterson going to the Houston Texans

Listed measurements: 6-foot-5 ⅛, 260 pounds. 2023-24 year, eligibility: A junior, Evans has two seasons of eligibility remaining. Depth Chart: Evans will be Notre Dame’s starting tight end when the Irish head to Dublin, a weighty honor as every tight end to open a season as the Irish starter has been drafted since Anthony Fasano started in 2004. If Evans maintains that streak, he will be the 12th straight starting Notre Dame tight end to hear his name in the NFL draft. Recruiting: The No. 26 tight end in the class of 2021, Evans turned down offers from Iowa State, Michigan State and Pittsburgh to join Cane Berrong in the Notre Dame class of 2021. That sentence elicits two thoughts: First of all, neither Berrong nor Evans was exceedingly well-regarded as a recruit — Berrong the No. 35 tight end in the class, per rivals.com — but Berrong had a bit more hype given he was an Under Armour All-American. Regardless, the Irish chasing them should have elevated their respective statuses a bit more, simply given Notre Dame’s track record with tight ends under Brian Kelly. After injuries derailed his time in South Bend, Berrong transferred to Coastal Carolina this winter, and he could be a ripe benefactor of Chanticleers quarterback Grayson McCall returning for one more season.

Listed measurements: 6-foot-4, 254 pounds 2023-24 year, eligibility: An incoming freshman, Traore has all four seasons of eligibility remaining. Depth Chart: To quote the penciled depth chart this space put together following spring practices, “No idea which end he should go to, just getting him on the depth chart [at Vyper end].” Traore is likely to be so far from playing time in 2023 that assigning him to either Vype or “Big” end would be merely an exercise in semantics. Recruiting: Notre Dame began chasing Traore while he was committed to Boston College, and it did not take long for the Massachusetts native to forget about his six-month pledge to the Eagles when the Irish offered. The No. 24 strongside defensive end in the class of 2023, per rivals.com, and a consensus four-star prospect, Traore also received an offer from Michigan, but he never wavered once he joined Notre Dame’s class.

Listed measurements: 6-foot-5, 259 pounds 2023-24 year, eligibility: An incoming freshman, Vernon has all four seasons of eligibility remaining. Depth Chart: Alexander Ehrensberger’s retirement from football to head back to Germany to start his career in the medical profession could have elevated Vernon into the three-deep at “Big” end. “Three-deep” may not be a typical term, but along the defensive line, it carries pertinence. Recruiting: A consensus four-star prospect and the No. 8 strongside defensive end in the class of 2023, per rivals.com, Vernon committed to Notre Dame nearly 18 months before he could actually sign with the Irish. An All-American, he never wavered from that commitment, not even when homestate power Ohio State came calling. Particularly along the defensive line, that is not a recruiting battle Notre Dame wins all that often.

Listed measurements: 6-foot-4 ⅝, 241 pounds 2023-24 year, eligibility: A sophomore, Gobaira has all four seasons of eligibility remaining since he did not take the field in 2022. Depth Chart: Gobaira exited his second spring practices as the third in line at “Big” defensive end behind fifth-year NaNa Osafo-Mensah and Ohio State transfer Javontae Jean-Baptiste. More playing time should be available for Gobaira at “Big” end rather than at Vyper, where he may be more of a fit but would be No. 4 on the depth chart. Recruiting: A consensus four-star and the No. 6 weakside defensive end in the class of 2022, per rivals.com, Gobaira turned down an aggressive chase from Arizona State to choose Notre Dame. Virginia Tech, Nebraska and Kentucky also sought the No. 84 overall prospect in the class.

Listed measurements: 6-foot-3, 312 pounds 2023-24 year, eligibility: A senior, Keanaaina has three years of eligibility remaining, since the universal pandemic eligibility waiver meant a subsequent season, Keanaaina’s three-game 2021, could count as his traditional eligibility-preserving foray. Depth Chart: Keanaaina has been jumped by at least three players younger than him among the defensive tackles, and that could be four if sophomore Donovan Hinish surges in the preseason. Keanaaina looks more and more like a depth piece for Notre Dame but little more. Recruiting: The Irish beat out Nebraska, Wisconsin and Cal to pull in the No. 30 defensive tackle in the class, per rivals.com. A four-star prospect from Colorado and the son of a former Colorado State player, Keanaaina also mildly considered the Rams.

Notre Dame continued its three-week recruiting surge with a bright-and-early Monday morning pledge from rivals.com four-star linebacker Bodie Kahoun (Patrick Henry High School; Roanoke, Va.). Since the end of spring practices on April 22, the Irish have now pulled in seven commitments in the class of 2024.