A former four-star recruit who broke out as Notre Dame's starting tight end in 2025 before New England took him in the third round.
Eli Raridon spent three seasons waiting his turn behind Notre Dame's tight end depth chart before finally taking over as the starter in 2025. The Iowa product's patience paid off when the Patriots drafted him in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, continuing Notre Dame's long run of producing NFL tight ends.
Path to the league
A four-star recruit out of Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa, where he caught 53 passes for 627 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior, Raridon committed to Notre Dame and enrolled in 2022. He played sparingly through his first three seasons behind more established Irish tight ends, appearing in 5 games as a freshman with no catches before gradually working his way into the rotation.
Career highlights
Raridon posted modest but steadily improving numbers across his first three years at Notre Dame, catching 5 passes for 51 yards and a touchdown in 2023 and 11 passes for 90 yards and two scores in 2024. His draft selection extended a remarkable streak: every Notre Dame tight end who has been the program's top receiving option at the position has been drafted into the NFL over the last 20 years.
2025 season recap
Raridon finally took over as Notre Dame's starting tight end in 2025 and broke out with 32 receptions for 482 yards, by far his best statistical season. The New England Patriots selected him in the third round, 95th overall, of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Sources
- ESPN: Eli Raridon
- Patriots.com: Eli Raridon
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Tight End
- Group
- offense
- College
- Notre Dame
- Hometown
- Des Moines, IA, USA
- Age
- 22
- Status
- active
