With Kevin Bauman retiring following yet another season-ending injury, Eli Raridon was freed up to show Notre Dame football faithful what he can do.
However, Irish offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock made it clear during a Sunday press conference that Raridon didn't get the starting tight end job because Bauman was injured. Raridon is "the man" because he's shown "elite" ability this camp. There was no player that Denbrock mentioned while addressing the media that he was effusive in praise for.
Eli Raridon earns starting role as Notre Damefootball's next elite tight end
"He measures up both physically and athletically to do all the jobs," Denbrock said of Raridon, who he believes could be the next great Notre Dame tight end.
That's excellent news for a Fighting Irish team that is moving on from yet another tight end that is headed to the NFL. Notre Dame has felt like it's Tight End U for a while now. It's a recruiting pitch every year when they look at the future of the position. Denbrock clearly thinks that Raridon can be someone who heads off to the pros when his time in South Bend is done.
That's also good news because more than a few analysts have talked about the tight end position being an "area of concern" for Notre Dame heading into 2025 in part because Mitchell Evans is gone. Even with all the injuries he suffered, he was considered a very talented player. One of the best in college football.
Eli Raridon, meanwhile, finally gets to live up to the "elite" billing. Entering his third season with the Notre Dame football team, he's tallied just 16 career catches for 141 yards and 3 touchdowns. Last year, he had a career high 11 grabs for 90 yards and 2 TDs.