Notre Dame Stacked at Tight End Position

With the upcoming season just weeks away, and the spread offense about to be unveiled, the role of the tight ends will be crucial to the success of the Irish.

Notre Dame has been deep at the tight end position for a number of years. Some names that come to mind are Tony Fasano (Miami Dolphins) and John Carlson (Seattle Seahawks). When what looked like a promising career for Will Yeatman was cut short due to off-the-field incidents, Mike Ragone stepped right in to fill the void.

Where We Are Today

Junior Kyle Rudolph (6'6," 265 pounds) is one of, if not the best, tight end in the country, and probably the best pro prospect on the roster right now. With 275:59 minutes of playing time in 2009, including 57 special teams appearances, Rudolph's presence on the field was a constant last year.

Mike Ragone (6'4," 250 pounds), a senior with two years of eligibility, saw 158:45 minutes last year. He was taken to the hospital after Wednesday's practice after suffering a heat-related illness and missed Thursday's practice. It is unclear when he will be back. Ragone had six catches for 60 yards last season.

Tyler Eifert (6'6," 240 pounds), is probably the fastest of the tight ends with 4.6 speed. While his blocking skills have been questioned, his speed will be a big factor in this spread offense. Eifert has put on 20 pounds, under new strength and conditioning coach Paul Longo, which will help with the blocking issues.

Senior Bobby Burger (6'2," 245 pounds) had 83 special team appearances last year and two catches for 10 yards. While not really a pass-catching threat, Burger could be used in blocking situations.

Where We Are Headed

Freshman Alex Welch (6'5," 225 pounds) is a four-star recruit out of Cincinnati  Elder, the same school as Rudolph. He has caught the attention of Coach Kelly with his ability to break defenses. With the new training table and the skills of coach Longo, the 225-pound frame could be somewhere in the area of 235 by mid-season.

Looking a little further down the road, Ben Koyak (6'5," 230 pounds), a four-star recruit with a 4.6 time in the 40-yard dash, signed with the Irish back in April. Koyak comes out of Oil City, Pa.

What It All Means

Under the spread offense, the tight ends should thrive. With all the talent that Notre Dame possesses at that position, and the depth, even with the uncertainty of Ragone's health, the Irish should be in good shape.