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

Ultimately, Raridon had to make a choice between the two sports and went with football.

His father Scott, a former football player at Notre Dame, helped lay out the scenarios for him.

“His sophomore year, he had a lot of success playing basketball. And we were talking about it,” Raridon’s dad 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’d be a high level Division 1 guard. I just thought he had a better chance in football.”

In the end, Eli agreed.

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

“Basketball was always part of my life growing up, and I really feel like it helped me be better controlled with my body going up, high pointing the ball, things like that,” Raridon said during his initial conference call with the local media. “And I think it’s definitely helped me translate early on in my career.”

Generational Notre Dame ties

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

As mentioned above, Eli’s father played at South Bend. He was an offensive tackle and long snapper from 2002-2005.

He was initially coached by Tyrone Willingham, and then former Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis. So there’s a bit of a New England tie there.

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

So it seemed fitting that Eli wound up playing college ball at historic Notre Dame Stadium.

“I was thrilled. I had raised him to be a pretty avid fan, but I didn’t dare hope that he’d 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 realize that dream, I was so happy for him.”

According to his father, Eli’s love of sports began at an early age. When he was five, the youngster stunned his parents by memorizing all the stats and scores from games. That was one of the first signs what direction their son was headed.

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

When Raridon was in second grade, his dad played him up a level with the 3rd and 4th grade team.

“That was his first foray into tackle football, and he held his own,” Scott Raridon recalled. “I thought he was going to be an offensive lineman eventually. But he was so athletic and fast, I thought tight end would be good for him while he was developing.”

As time wore on, Raridon never switched to the offensive line. The tight end position stuck.

His senior year in high school, however, Eli tore his right ACL. That was devastating, but Raridon rehabbed quickly enough to play his freshman year at Notre Dame in 2022.

He played the first five games, then disaster struck again, as he re-tore the same knee in practice in the fall.

The following year, Raridon managed to play in seven games with three starts. In 2024, his junior year, he played in all 16 games when Notre Dame played in the national championship game.

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

The Patriots medical staff, who checked him out at the NFL Combine, didn’t flag him with any lingering concerns about the knee and gave the green light. So with the team in desperate need of a No. 2 option behind Hunter Henry, the Patriots selected the Notre Dame product, who had made a 30 visit to Foxborough.

His Gronk-like traits

It’s no secret Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels loves to incorporate tight ends in his offense.

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

The beauty of Raridon is that he excels in two critical areas. He can catch, and he can block. In that way, he is similar to 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’s modeled his game after 49ers great George Kittle, who is another blocking-pass catching tight end.

“I’ve always told Eli if you’re a tight end who can’t block, then you’re a wide receiver. If you’re a tight end who can’t catch passes, then you’re a sixth lineman,” his father Scott said. “I think there is a value to that position for players who are good at both.”

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

Notre Dame’s longtime offensive coach firmly believes the Patriots will put Eli’s strengths to good use.

“Obviously, Coach McDaniels does an unbelievable job using tight ends, and understanding how important they are to not only NFL football, but all football,” Denbrock said. “Eli has those exact traits that transfer very well. He can hold up against the bigger personnel in the run game, and he can also get out into space and make plays.”

Raridon’s skills as a pass catcher, however, and his potential to be a valuable weapon for Maye is certainly intriguing.

At 6-foot-6, 245 pounds, running a 4.62 40-yard dash, he could prove to be a matchup nightmare for opposing teams, much 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 two things really add to his ability to help in the passing game. One is his athleticism and his ability to accelerate and separate from defenders,” said Denbrock, “and then he’s got a huge catch radius. His long wingspan, big hands, and the ability to make contested catches is a big part of playing that position, and he does a really nice job of that.”

Mature beyond his years

Whether it was Eli’s father, or his coaches, they all tossed out the word “mature” when describing the Patriots tight end, who is 22.

“Eli is a very mature, very focused, very determined individual that works really hard at his craft. He does everything necessary to give him the best opportunity to help the organization,” Denbrock said. “He kind of lives his life, already, as a professional. On top of that, he’s a really smart guy. He’s not going to have any trouble picking up the things they want him to do. It’s always a little bit of an adjustment adjusting to the NFL game, the speed of the game and all of those things. But once he’s got his feet under him, I think he’s going to blossom. I think his best football is ahead of him.”

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

“Bad timing,” his father cracked, alluding to the Patriots regular season schedule.

No doubt the baby will turn out to be athletic. 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.

Being from the midwest, the Patriots weren’t the team everyone rooted for in the Raridon household. But dad feels his son has come to the right place.

“From Eli’s standpoint, I just wanted him to go someplace I thought was well run and had a need for the position so he’d have an opportunity to contribute,” Scott Raridon said. “So we were really excited that they checked both of those boxes.

“The situation in the tight end room is appealing for him. So I was thrilled. I’m happy to be a Patriots fan now.”

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