A promise I wish Notre Dame football would have made this offseason that could have helped a group that keeps getting thinner originally appeared on A to Z Sports.
Every offseason, respective college football programs across the country do their best to fill holes on their roster, whether that is through high school recruiting or via the Transfer Portal. Under head coach Marcus Freeman, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have been consistent in wanting to build through the high school recruit, and supplement talent in the portal when there is a good fit out there. That is a strategy that has worked well for the program.
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Notre Dame was dealt some unfortunate injury news over the weekend when it was announced that running back Kedren Young and tight end Kevin Bauman were both lost for the season with knee injuries. For Young, that is extremely disappointing considering that he was pushing to earn playing time heading into the season. He is the bigger back that the Irish are looking for in short yardage situations. Combined with Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price, and Aneyas Williams, Young was poised to be a part of arguably the best running back room in the country.
When it comes to Bauman, he announced his retirement from football when the news broke. You have to feel for a young man who has continued to push through an injury riddled career, hoping to end his sixth season with a major success. The loss of Bauman was also a depth blow to a really thin tight end room for the Fighting Irish right now. That was already a troubling group, and things just got a little murkier.
Most people around the Notre Dame program are expecting senior Eli Raridon to become a star this year, but Raridon has also had a tough time dealing with injuries during his career as well. If anything does happen to Raridon, he would leave a massive void. Right now, Arkansas transfer Ty Washington, Jack Larsen, and James Flanigan are the only healthy scholarship options behind him with Cooper Flanagan also recovering from an Achilles injury. Between those three, they managed to haul in a grand total of two receptions in 2024.
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If you think back to the offseason for Notre Dame, they actually had interest in bringing in a second transfer tight end at one point. They had legitimate interest in former Purdue standout Max Klare, who opted to transfer to the Ohio State Buckeyes. Klare is originally from the state of Indiana, and there was a moment where it felt like he was going to end up with the Fighting Irish behind the scenes. Ultimately, Notre Dame wasn’t willing to promise Klare a starting job, and his decision became clearer.
There are some who will commend Notre Dame for making that decision, and I do as well, to a degree. Here is the problem with that ideology, Klare would be your starter. All due respect to Raridon, but there is a reason that NFL evaluators are already super high on Klare and what he brings to the table. Klare has a chance to not only be the best tight end in the Big Ten in 2025, but in the entire country.
During the 2024 season, Klare put together an outstanding season for the Boilermakers after some early career injuries. In 12 games, the 6-4, 240-pound pass catcher managed to haul in 51 receptions for 685 yards and four touchdowns. That is impressive when you consider that Klare was a part of a putrid passing offense last season, but still managed to produce.
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If Raridon is able to stay healthy this season, it is possible that this becomes a moot point. Potentially pairing Raridon and Klare together, however, would have been outstanding. If either got hurt, it is even better insurance to allow the position to thrive. Only time will tell if that was the right decision for the Fighting Irish staff.
This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Aug 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
