Position: Tight End

Projected Starter: Mike Ragone (sophomore) or Will Yeatman (junior)

Backup(s): Luke Schmidt (junior), Kyle Rudolph (freshman), Joseph Fauria (freshman)

2008 Outlook:  While it looks to be a battle for the starting position at tight end between sophomore Mike Ragone and junior Will Yeatman (right), both will see significant playing time in 2008.  Ragone played as a true freshman and forced himself into the #3 role in 2007 while Yeatman was the second option behind John Carlson.  So naturally it would look like Yeatman would be the starter with Ragone backing him up but with the suspension of Yeatman in spring practice due to a DUI in January, Ragone has just as good of a shot to be the starter on September 6^th.  Ragone is not nearly as big as Yeatman but figures to be a much better target in the passing game.  Yeatman’s strength is his size and power and figures to become the top blocking tight end for the Irish.  Both players have a lot of talent and should give new Irish playcaller Mike Haywood some nice options for starting quarterback Jimmy Clausen.  Luke Schmidt looks to make the full-time switch from fullback to tight end this season and figures to push both Ragone and Yeatman for playing time.  The junior has battled some injuries in his first two years and is finally playing healthy at a position he can succeed in.  He gives the Irish a little bit of both receiving ability and blocking ability and could be a Chris Cooley-type player.

Notre Dame was also fortunate enough to pull in another top notch TE recruiting class in 5-star Kyle Rudolph and Joseph Fauria.  Rudolph is probably the best bet to see the field out of the freshman, as he is one of the more physically ready players in the entire freshmen class.  The 6-5, 255 lb. high school All-American is probably the same size as John Carlson was last year and is only 18 years old.  He was the top rated TE in the nation last year and figures to play early, although with the depth at the position, he probably will only see time in multiple sets and on special teams.  He is a big target and will be a force in time.  Speaking of big targets, Fauria might be the tallest guy on the team.  The nephew of former pro Christian Fauria, Joseph is just one big dude at 6-8, 250 lbs.  He’ll likely need some time growing into his frame and might be a better candidate for a redshirt but he has looked good in practice and his size will help him get on the field.

Tight End coach Bernie Parmalee instructs Yeatman, Fauria and Ragone

Grade: B.  While not the most experienced group of players on the team, this position has both talent and depth.  Weis figures to use 2 or 3 TE sets a lot this season with the guys he has and Jimmy Clausen will likely look to the TE’s a lot during the season.  Ragone and Yeatman figure to share most of the snaps, but don’t count out Schmidt or Rudolph.  Ragone has the speed and attitude to have a big year and Yeatman’s size should prove to be a terrific asset in the running game.  This unit will be a force in the years to come and should be a fun group to watch.