Eli Raridon Has Potential For A Breakout Season In 2025

Notre Dame has had some notable tight ends go through their football program for the last 20 years. It's one of the main reasons they've been coined as "TEU" by many in the college football world. Eli Raridon is next in line to take on the mantra of starting tight end at the University of Notre Dame. After coming off of his healthiest season in South Bend, Raridon has all the potential for a breakout season in year two of the Mike Denbrock offense. 

Raridon has suffered two significant knee injuries in the early part of his career with the Irish, a main reason for his lack of statistical production from 2022-2024. During his freshman year, he was seen more as a blocker, and was the best blocker in the tight end room at the time before tearing his ACL a second time in October of 2022. He missed the spring for the 2023 season which stunted a lot of his development that coaches typically like to see from a player's freshman to sophomore season. 

In 2023, he caught five passes for 51 yards and one touchdown which came against Wake Forest in the final home game of the regular season. This past year, Raridon remained healthy for the entire 16 game season and played significant snaps in every game this year. He finished the year with 391 total snap and recorded receptions in seven of Notre Dame's games in 2024. Raridon finished the season with 11 receptions for 90 yards, averaged 8.2 yards per catch, and had two touchdowns. 

The tight end position has taken a step back from it's impact it's had in the past over the last couple of seasons. Injuries have held back this unit from breaking out since the departure of Michael Mayer after the 2022 season. Mitchell Evans began to show promise of being an impact player in 2023 before tearing his ACL in November. He was able to work his way back from the injury in time to play against Texas A&M in the past home opener, but was unable to get back to his peak form we saw from Ohio State to Pittsburgh last season. 

Year two in Coach Denbrock's system should bode well for the rising senior. We've seen tight ends in previous offenses under Denbrock improve their efficiency and be a bigger red zone target than what Notre Dame's tight ends have been since 2022. Mason Taylor, LSU's tight end in 2023 caught 36 passes for 248 yards, averaged 9.7 yards per catch and had one touchdown. Keep in mind, they had players on the perimeter like Brian Thomas and Malik Nabers, two first round NFL draft picks. Josh Whyle, Cincinnati's tight end in 2020 and 2021 had impact performances in both seasons. In 2020 he went for 353 yards, averaged 12.6 yards per catch, and caught six touchdowns. He followed up that performance in 2021 averaging more yards per catch (12.8) and matched the same amount of touchdowns (6). 

Raridon has the skillset to take that kind of jump. The 6-7 soon-to-be senior is very athletic and has a skillset similar to former Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet. In 2019, Kmet had 43 catches, 515 yards, averaged 12.0 yards per catch, and had six touchdown grabs. Both Raridon and Kmet were taller, had big frames, and were vertical threats up the seam, something Denbrock has routinely done with his previous tight ends. Similar to the 2019 team that had Chase Claypool, the 2025 roster will have transfer Malachi Fields in the boundary playing a very similar role to Claypool. Kmet was not the leading receiver on that offense, but his impact was felt on a weekly basis in that offense, a role that Raridon has all the potential in the world to step into. 

Notre Dame's offense has the makings to be a well balanced attack in 2025. There's no question about the success of the run game with two elite running backs returning to the backfield, Jaden Greathouse had a breakout final two games in the playoffs, and the addition of Fields from the portal will make a huge impact in the passing attack. Whichever quarterback starts under center, passing efficiency and effectiveness should take a jump from 2024. The tight end position is the final piece to that puzzle. Fields in the boundary, Greathouse in the slot, with Raridon at tight end will put a lot of defenses in a bind.