Eli Raridon brings Notre Dame pedigree, Gronk-like traits to the Patriots

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Eli Raridon brings Notre Dame pedigree, Gronk-like traits to the Patriots

When Notre Dame went through the recruiting process of Eli Raridon, the highlight film that caught their attention, and inspired the Fighting Irish to call Valley High School in Iowa wasn’t about football.

They were obsessed with Raridon’s basketball tape. That’s what sets the wheels in motion. That was the thought that “piqued” their curiosity in the first place, according to Raridon’s Valley High football coach Gary Swenson.

As the story goes, Tommy Rees, Notre Dame’s coordinator at the time and one of the school’s top scouts, called Swenson after watching the Patriots’ third-round basketball game.

“(Rees) was the first guy I talked to. I think they were going to take one or two in that class. And they had a few commitments,” Swenson told MassLive. “They knew about Eli as a football player, but they didn’t find him in the list of four or five best players, but they also didn’t do their best.

“I think they saw the basketball (film) and were like, ‘Wow.’ They just didn’t know he was that type of athlete… and I think if you look at the tight end right now in the NFL, they’re some of the best athletes in the league.”

Mike Denbrock, the current Notre Dame coordinator and tight ends coach, provided further evidence to the theory that Raridon’s basketball tape was part of what sold the Fighting Irish to Mason City, Iowa.

“It really was. At the high school level, he was dangerous on the basketball court,” Denbrock said of Raridon. “He was driving down the floor staring people down and grabbing rebounds and doing everything I’m sure the Boston Celtics could use for a long time.”

Since Bill Belichick’s time as head coach, and now with Mike Vrabel at the helm, the Patriots have drafted many multi-sport athletes whether it was Tom Brady (football, baseball), Nate Ebner (rugby football) or more recently, Drake Maye (football, basketball), just to name a few.

In the end, Raridon had to make a choice between the two games and went with the ball.

His father Scott, a former football player at Notre Dame, helped set him up.

“His sophomore year, he had a lot of success playing basketball. And we were talking about it,” Raridon’s father said. “I told him unless you’re going to get in the gym and work on your three-point game, I didn’t think he was going to be a top-level guard in Division 1. I thought he had a better chance in football.”

Finally, Eli agreed.

And with that pick, the Patriots’ third-round pick still makes a point to say how much playing basketball has helped him in the long run.

“Basketball was always a part of my life growing up, and I feel like it helped me get better control of my body going up, pointing the ball up, things like that,” Raridon said during his first conference call with local media. “And I think it really helped me translate early in my career.”

Links to Generations Notre Dame

Eli is part of a three-generation Notre Dame football family.

As mentioned above, Eli’s father played in South Bend. He was an offensive and long-serving player from 2002-2005.

He was first coached by Tyrone Willingham, then Patriots coordinator Charlie Weis. So there’s a New England tie there.

Scott Raridon Sr., Eli’s grandfather, was Lou Holtz’s strength coach on Notre Dame’s 1988 National Championship team.

So it seemed fitting that Eli would end up playing college football in historic Notre Dame Stadium.

I was so excited because I had raised him to be a big fan, but I never expected him to play there,” said Scott Jr., who married his high school sweetheart Jena and was a sophomore at Notre Dame when Eli was born. “It was always his dream. So when he was able to achieve that dream, I was very happy for him.”

According to his father, Eli’s love for sports started at an early age. At the age of five, the teenager surprised his parents by memorizing all the numbers and points from games. That was one of the first signs of where their son was headed.

Eli’s father was also his first coach, leading his soccer team.

When Raridon was in second grade, his father played for him on the 3rd and 4th grade teams.

“That was his first tackle, and he held his own,” Scott Raridon recalled. “I thought he was going to be an offensive lineman. But he was so athletic and quick, I thought tight end would be good for him as he grew.”

As time went on, Raridon didn’t switch to the offensive line. The final solid state is static.

His senior year of high school, however, Eli tore his right ACL. That was heartbreaking, but Raridon bounced back quickly to play his freshman year at Notre Dame in 2022.

He played the first five games, then disaster struck again, as he tore up the same knee in a fall.

The following year, Raridon was able to play in seven games and started three games. In 2024, his junior year, he played in all 16 games as Notre Dame played in the national championship game.

Then as a senior, he started all 12 games, setting a career high with 32 catches for 482 yards.

The Patriots’ medical staff, who evaluated him at the NFL Combine, did not flag any lingering concerns about the knee and gave the green light. So with the team in dire need of the No. 1 option. 2 behind Hunter Henry, the Patriots selected the Notre Dame product, who had 30 visits to Foxborough.

His Gronk-like characteristics

It’s no secret that Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels likes to include tight ends in his offense.

Last season, Maye tied with Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper for a combined 81 catches, 1,031 yards and nine touchdowns.

The beauty of Raridon is that it succeeds in two critical areas. He can catch, and he can block. In that way, he’s like newly inducted Patriots Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski.

It should be noted that Gronk, like Raridon, was also a high school hoop star.

Raridon says he modeled his game after 49ers tight end George Kittle.

“I’ve always told Eli if you’re a tight end who can block, then you’re a receiver. If you’re a tight end who can catch passes, you’re a sixth man,” said his father Scott. “I think there is an advantage in that position for players who are good at both.”

Denbrock, who has been a football coach for the past four decades, agreed.

Notre Dame’s longtime offensive line coach firmly believes the Patriots will make good use of Eli’s strengths.

“Obviously, coach McDaniels is doing an unbelievable job using the tight ends, and understanding how important it is not only in NFL football, but all of football,” Denbrock said. “Eli has those passing attributes that are great. He can stand up to big tackles in the run game, and he can get out in space and make plays.”

Raridon’s abilities as a pass catcher, however, and his ability to be a key weapon for Maye are certainly intriguing.

At 6-foot-6, 245 pounds, running a 4.62 40-yard dash, he can be a nightmare for opposing teams, just like Gronk.

Just for reference, Gronkowski, at 6-foot-6, 258 pounds, ran a 4.68 in the 40 at his Pro Day. Kittle, at 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, ran a 4.52.

“I think there are two things that add a lot to his ability to help in the passing game. One is his ability to run and his ability to accelerate and break away from defenders,” Denbrock said, “and get a big catch. His long wingspan, big hands, and ability to compete is a big part of playing that position, and he does a great job of that.”

He is mature beyond his years

Whether it was Eli’s father, or his coaches, they all threw out the word “mature” when describing the 22-year-old Patriots tight end.

“Eli is a very mature, focused, dedicated person who works hard at his craft. He does whatever it takes to give him the best opportunity to help the organization,” Denbrock said. “He lives his life, of course, like a professional. Plus, he’s a really smart guy. He’s not going to have a problem picking up the things that they want him to do. It’s always a little bit of an adjustment in the NFL game, the speed of the game and all that stuff. But once he gets his feet under him, I think he’s going to be great with the ball.”

Raridon, like several other Patriots 2026 picks, is married. He and his wife Anna are expecting their first child in October.

“It’s a bad time,” his father said, referring to the Patriots’ regular season schedule.

There is no doubt that the child will become an athlete. It’s in the genes.

Eli has a younger sister who plays volleyball, and a younger brother who is a lineman currently playing for Swenson at Valley High.

Hailing from the midwest, the Patriots weren’t the team everyone in the Raridon family rooted for. But the father feels that his son has come to the right place.

“From Eli’s point of view, I just wanted him to go to a place that I thought was well run and had a need at the position so he could have a chance to contribute,” said Scott Raridon. “So we’re very pleased that they checked both of those boxes.

“The strong room atmosphere is great for him. So I’m very happy. I’m happy to be a Patriots fan now.”