SOUTH BEND, Ind. - About a year ago, the tight end depth chart at Notre Dame could be summed up in one word — loaded.

Starting was John Carlson, a fifth-year senior and one of the top tight ends in the nation.

Backing him up was then-sophomore Will Yeatman, who earned acclaim as a high school lacrosse player but was considered one of the premier tight ends on the west coast as a prep star in the San Diego area. Yeatman signed with ND as a football player but also starred on the lacrosse team as a freshman.

Also in the mix last year was sophomore Konrad Reuland, the top tight in the country in the recruiting class of 2006.

Behind Reuland and Yeatman sat freshman Mike Ragone, the top tight end in the recruiting class of 2007. And on the way were Cincinnati's Kyle Rudolph and Los Angeles' Joseph Fauria. Rudolph was rated as, you guessed it, the top player at his position in the 2008 recruiting group, and Fauria wasn't far behind.

That was then. Today, while the position isn’t bone dry, it isn’t overflowing with talent like it once was.

Carlson was a second-round selection of the Seattle Seahawks. Reuland left the program before eventually landing at Stanford. Ragone is out for the year after undergoing preseason knee surgery. Yeatman will not play until a legal matter involving underage drinking is cleared up.

So right now, it's the kiddie corps, with Rudolph the starter, a spot he took when Ragone was lost, and Fauria ready to step in if needed, although ideally he sits a year to add weight to his 6-foot-7, 245-pound frame. Rudolph is blending in, having caught six passes, including a touchdown.

"I'd say the depth chart has changed," Irish coach Charlie Weis said.

And it will change more next year. Two of the 14 players committed to Notre Dame’s recruiting class of 2009 are tight ends — Jake Golic of West Hartford, Conn., and Tyler Eifert of Fort Wayne, Ind.

Both have ties to Notre Dame. Golic is the son of former Irish standout and current ESPN personality Mike Golic, and his brother, Mike Golic Jr., is a freshman offensive lineman at ND. Eifert attends the same school that produced freshman receiver John Goodman.

Neither recruit, however, ranks among the nation’s top 100 players, and Eifert arrives as an athlete, meaning he could play safety, linebacker, receiver or tight end. He played receiver as a high school junior before an expected move to tight end this season.

“I’m mainly just looking to get on the field,” Eifert said when he committed. “I know they’re already loaded at tight end, which is where I think I would excel the most, but it’s just wherever I can contribute.”

While the depth chart isn’t dry, Notre Dame is looking to replenish beyond 2009. A key name to remember for the class of 2010 is Chicago-area standout C.J. Fiedorowicz, who caught 67 passes for 1,089 yards as a sophomore, and added 75 tackles from his linebacker spot. LSU offered him as a sophomore, and ND also has offered.

In the three-plus years Weis has been at Notre Dame, the tight end has always been an important element, dating to his first year, when Anthony Fasano used a 47-reception senior season as a springboard to the NFL. Fasano now plays for the Miami Dolphins after being drafted in the 2006 second round by Dallas. And Carlson followed Fasano’s success by having 47 and 40 receptions his final two seasons.

In the end, it’s Michigan
Notre Dame lost out to Michigan again on a defensive end target. Craig Roh of Scottsdale, Ariz., picked the Wolverines recently, not long after New Jersey’s Anthony LaLota selected Michigan.

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