Notre Dame TE Kevin Bauman Posts Emotional Message After Another Season-Ending Injury

Bauman also mentioned in his post that his "journey as a football player has come to an end," which makes it sound like he's not going to pursue his college football career anymore.

Bauman could potentially seek another medical redshirt for the 2026 season, but considering he missed the entire 2023 season due to an injury and parts of the 2021 and 2022 seasons due to injuries, it sure seems like Bauman is ready to move on from playing football.

However, Bauman mentioned at the very end of his post that he does plan to remain connected with the program throughout the season. And kudos to him for doing so.

Watching another season from the sidelines certainly can't be easy, but Bauman's experience, familiarity with the program, and leadership could potentially play a vital role for the Fighting Irish this year.

The New Jersey native played in all 14 games last season, mostly on special teams, but did score his first collegiate touchdown against Purdue. The former four-star recruit was the fifth-ranked tight end, per Rivals, coming out of Red Bank Catholic High School, but injuries prevented him from moving up on the depth chart.

And of all the games on Notre Dame's schedule, Bauman was probably looking most forward to the season-opening matchup against Miami Bauman's younger brother, Alex, is a first-year tight end for the Hurricanes after transferring from Tulane.

In three seasons at Tulane, A. Bauman caught 63 passes for 610 yards and 13 touchdowns. And last year as a junior, he finished with 20 receptions for 212 yards and a career-best seven touchdowns. First-year defensive coordinator Chris Ash better make a point of stopping A. Bauman, because if he doesn't, it could be a long day for the Fighting Irish.

Unfortunately, K. Bauman wasn't the only Notre Dame player to suffer a season-ending injury either, as running back Kedren Young tore his right ACL in practice over the weekend. As a freshman last year, Young rushed for 116 yards and found the end zone once. Young was in the mix for a backup role and was most likely going to be utilized in short-yardage situations.