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Newsstand: ESPN identifies area of concern for Notre Dame football in 2025

Kyle Kellyby: Kyle Kelly07/14/25ByKyleKelly
Marcus Freeman CFP
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman. (Chad Weaver/Blue & Gold)

Notre Dame football’s roster is one of the college football’s most complete. But as with any team, that does not mean it does not have concerns.

Last Wednesday, ESPN named an area of concern for Top 25 college football teams in 2025. College football reporter Mark Schlabach identified tight end as the concern for the Fighting Irish. 

“Since 2011, the Fighting Irish have had a whopping 10 tight ends selected in the NFL draft, including last season’s leading receiver, Mitchell Evans, who had 43 catches for 421 yards with three touchdowns,” Schlabach said. “While the Irish feel they’ve upgraded their wide receiver group with the additions of Virginia transfer Malachi Fields and Wisconsin’s Will Pauling, tight end remains a bit of a question mark heading into preseason camp. 

“Senior Eli Raridon has the size (6-foot-7) and hands to excel at the position, but he was plagued by injuries during his first couple of college seasons, after tearing an ACL as a freshman. He had 11 catches for 90 yards with two touchdowns in 2024. The status of another tight end, Cooper Flanagan, who tore his left Achilles tendon in the Sugar Bowl, is in question.”

Besides Raridon, Notre Dame enters the season with four healthy scholarship tight ends: super senior Kevin Bauman, redshirt junior Ty Washington, redshirt sophomore Jack Larsen and freshman James Flanigan. 

Bauman, who has been held back due to injuries during his career, has 6 career catches for 67 yards and 1 touchdown. Larsen has never had a college catch and Washington — an Arkansas transfer — and Flanigan have never appeared in a game in a Notre Dame uniform.

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