Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM SEPT. 27, 2025 19 crushed. It's a very emotional experi- ence as a parent. It really led me to — probably the same as Eli — be more in the middle. When things are going great, don't get too carried away for it. When things are going bad, don't get too down. "After the first injury, that was kind of like a slap in the face from learning that les- son. And then the second one is obviously hard. Now things are going really well, but like, hey, let's not get too high or too low. Let's keep the head down and just keep having a good year. Enjoy the moment but don't get too carried away with it." The start of the 2025 season chal- lenged Eli, a senior, to stay somewhere near the middle. The Irish lost their first two games of the season to Miami and Texas A&M, but Eli played a major role in both contests. Through two games of the season, he led the Irish in receptions (9) and receiving yards (182). Eli started a combined six games the past two seasons, but his role at the clear No. 1 tight end in Notre Dame's offense became cemented for the first time this year. Despite recording 5 catches for 97 yards in the 27-24 loss to Miami, Eli dropped a pair of passes from redshirt freshman quarterback CJ Carr and didn't put forth the strongest blocking performance. "It's definitely frustrating," Eli said. "With stuff like that, when it happens, you have to own it and put it aside. You keep working hard. I knew what I was ca- pable of, and I know what I'm capable of. "I kept working and just staying true to the process." That night in Miami Gardens, Fla., Notre Dame lost its first opportunity to move past the pain of falling to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff national championship game. The Irish had to wait 13 more days to get back on the field in Notre Dame Stadium against Texas A&M. The wait provided another test. "I stayed true to my values," Eli said. "Put my faith first. Football isn't every- thing. I had to remind myself of that. "Obviously, a lot of time to dwell on it. I tried to put it aside, stay mentally strong and stay in my faith. Just stay confident. Honestly, that's the key." Eli and the entire Irish offense put to- gether a more even performance against A&M, but it still wasn't enough. The Aggies kept the Irish waiting for their first win of the season with an 11-yard touchdown pass and extra point with 13 seconds remaining in a 41-40 result. Eli logged another 4 receptions for 85 yards against A&M, and his offen- sive game grade from Pro Football Focus improved to 70.0 after receiving a 60.0 against Miami. Still, the improvement was less fulfilling given the final score. Eli and his teammates rallied together in an effort to get the season back on track. "I'm really close with a lot of the of- fensive guys," Eli said. "We made a big emphasis on staying together and loving each other through this hard moment. If we stick together and keep working even harder, and do extra, I think we're going to be OK." COLLEGE MATURATION Scott Raridon Jr. always considered his son very mature. He and his wife, Jena, received compliments from others on how Eli handled himself. College football pushed Eli into even more growth. The adversity he faced through injuries and the battle to get back on the field forged an even more mature version of himself. "I have such great male role models in my life — my dad, my grandpa, some fam- ily friends — and to have those guys really helped me along the way as well," Eli said. Scott witnessed a gradual maturation from afar. "The last four years, he's developed the ability to be able to block out distrac- tions better and be a very focused, goal- oriented person more so than when he arrived," Scott said. "But I think he's al- ways been kind of a mature kid from that standpoint. Getting married and he just got a dog — all those things kind of also nudge you along in life along that path." Eli married his longtime girlfriend, Anna, in May. The two had been together since high school and chose to progress their relationship into marriage. The strength of their relationship allowed Eli to be confident in taking a step his parents made when Scott was still a stu- dent-athlete at Notre Dame, too. "Growing up with them, being young parents, it was such an awesome experi- ence," Eli said. "My dad always coaching me on my teams and playing with me at all times, and my mom doing the same. They were just such great, young, fun parents. "Growing up with that, it made me really want to do the same thing. They made a big impact on me getting mar- ried young, as well. I got lucky to meet the right person." Scott, who married Eli's mom before his junior year at Notre Dame, sup- ported his son's decision. "Once I realized that he was sure she was the one and all that, then I was just really excited for him and happy for him, because they've been dating long dis- tance," Scott said. "They're now able to be together. It's always been one of his goals to start a family younger than older." CAN ELI BE ELITE? Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, who was Scott Raridon Jr.'s offensive line coach with the Irish for three seasons, put a high ceiling on Eli Raridon in the preseason. Denbrock described Eli as having the potential to be elite and carry on the strong tight end tradition in the program. Eli, who Rivals ranked as the No. 5 tight end and No. 198 overall recruit in the country for the 2022 class, didn't shy away from those expectations. "I've always believed in myself," Eli said. "I've always been confident in my- self. It can take a while to really show that. I've had some great tight ends, like Michael [Mayer] and Mitch [Evans] ahead of me. "At a young age, it's hard to be mature enough and mentally ready for the game of football, but I've always known what I'm capable of." Denbrock might not have praised Scott as highly as a player, but the elder Raridon came to appreciate how Den- brock was hard on him in an effort to push him toward his potential. If Den- brock can nudge Eli closer toward his potential, he might be a top target for Carr for the rest of the season. "I'm very humbled and grateful that he said that about me," Eli said of Den- brock's elite comments. "And obviously, I'm not thinking about it all the time, but I'm glad my coach believes in me." ✦ "I stayed true to my values. Put my faith first. Football isn't everything. I had to remind myself of that." RARIDON ON NOT LETTING A SLOW START TO THE SEASON IMPACT HIM NEGATIVELY