Eli Raridon
| No. 82 – New England Patriots | |
|---|---|
| Position | Tight end |
| Roster status | Active |
| Personal information | |
| Born | February 12, 2004[1] Mason City, Iowa, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 245 lb (111 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Valley (West Des Moines, Iowa) |
| College | Notre Dame (2022–2025) |
| NFL draft | 2026: 3rd round, 95th overall pick |
| Career history | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Elijah Daniel Raridon (born February 12, 2004)[1] is an American professional football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and was selected by the Patriots in the third round of the 2026 NFL draft.
Early life
Raridon attended Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa. As a senior, he had 53 receptions for 627 yards 10 touchdowns. He was ranked among the top tight ends in his class and committed to the University of Notre Dame to play college football.[2][3][4]
College career
Raridon spent the first three years at Notre Dame as a backup, recording 16 receptions for 141 yards and three touchdowns over 28 games.[5] He took over as the starter his senior season in 2025.[6] In the first game of the season, he had five receptions for 97 yards.
Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | Receiving | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | |||
| 2022 | Notre Dame | 5 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 |
| 2023 | Notre Dame | 7 | 5 | 51 | 10.2 | 1 |
| 2024 | Notre Dame | 16 | 11 | 90 | 8.2 | 2 |
| 2025 | Notre Dame | 12 | 32 | 482 | 15.1 | 0 |
| Career | 40 | 48 | 623 | 13.0 | 3 | |
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 6+1⁄8 in (1.98 m) |
245 lb (111 kg) |
32+3⁄4 in (0.83 m) |
10+3⁄4 in (0.27 m) |
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
4.62 s | 1.60 s | 2.70 s | 4.38 s | 7.16 s | 36.0 in (0.91 m) |
10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) |
22 reps |
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[7][8] | ||||||||||||
Raridon was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round with the 95th overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.[9]
Personal life
His grandfather, Scott Raridon Sr., played offensive line for Nebraska and was a sixth-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1984 NFL draft,[10] and was a strength coach on Notre Dame's 1988 National Championship team. His father, Scott Raridon Jr., also played college football at Notre Dame.[11][12]
Raridon married his high school sweetheart Anna Bernhard in May 2025.[13]
References
- ^ a b "Eli Raridon TE Notre Dame NFL Draft Profile". nfldraftbuzz.com. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
- ^ Bain, Matthew (February 18, 2021). "How Valley tight end Eli Raridon blossomed into a blue-chip football prospect". The Des Moines Register.
- ^ Hansen, Eric (2021-05-02). "Ascending tight end prospect Eli Raridon commits to Notre Dame". Notre Dame Insider. Retrieved 2026-04-28.
- ^ Raridon, Eli. "Valley tight end Eli Raridon: Here's why I'm committing to Notre Dame football". The Des Moines Register.
- ^ Berardino, Mike. "Freaky year' ahead for Notre Dame football tight end Eli Raridon? That's the hope". South Bend Tribune.
- ^ "Eli Raridon's Time Has Arrived At Notre Dame // UHND.com". July 23, 2025.
- ^ "Eli Raridon Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
- ^ "Eli Raridon College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
- ^ Lazar, Evan. "Analysis: Patriots Select EDGE Gabe Jacas and TE Eli Raridon on Day Two of the 2026 NFL Draft". Patriots.com. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
- ^ "Scott Raridon - Football 1983". University of Nebraska - Official Athletics Website. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- ^ James, Tyler. "Notre Dame TE recruit Eli Raridon just keeping it all in the family". Notre Dame Insider.
- ^ Sampson, Pete (May 7, 2021). "How Notre Dame got a commitment from tight end Eli Raridon, who is not your average Irish legacy" – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ @MikeBerardino (June 7, 2025). "#NDFootball tight end Eli Raridon ties the knot with longtime girlfriend Anna Bernhard. (Via IG)" (Tweet). Retrieved September 1, 2025 – via X (formerly Twitter).