Tight End Mike Ragone Joins The Kansas Football Program
April 17, 2012
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Mike Ragone made official today what had been rumored for weeks. Ragone, a tight end, officially signed his grant in aid forms making his transfer from Notre Dame to Kansas complete. Ragone has already completed his undergraduate degree and is eligible to play for KU in 2012.
Ragone, a 6-foot-4, 262-pound tight end, joins the Jayhawks after being granted a sixth-year of eligibility from the NCAA. The Cherry Hill, N.J., native missed the entire 2008 season with a knee injury and was lost for the 2011 season after suffering another knee injury during the third game of the year. He graduated from Notre Dame in May 2011 with a degree in sociology.
Ragone played in 37 games during his five seasons at Notre Dame, recording 11 catches for 109 yards. He played in 11 games for the Irish as a true freshman in 2007, hauling in one reception for seven yards versus Navy. Ragone also had six tackles on special teams as a freshman.
After missing the entire 2008 season due to injury, Ragone came back strong in 2009 tallying six receptions for 60 yards. He played in all 12 games, starting seven. He followed that up with three receptions for 32 yards, while playing in 12 games for Notre Dame during the 2010 season. He recorded one catch in 2011 before injuring his knee in the third game of the year.
Ragone was rated the No. 3 tight end in the country, third-best player in New Jersey and 83rd-best prospect in the nation by Rivals.com following his senior season at Camden Catholic High School. He was named the No. 2 tight end in the nation and 33rd-best prospect by CSTV/Tom Lemming and was rated the 55th-best prospect in the nation and No. 2 tight end in his class on the ESPN 150 list. Additionally, Ragone was named to the Scout.com National 100 list where he was ranked as the second-best tight end in the nation, the fourth-best player in New Jersey and the No. 56 prospect in the country.
Ragone, who played for Ricky Brown at Camden Catholic, sat out his senior year of high school with a knee injury, but was named first-team all-South Jersey by the Philadelphia Inquirer as a junior after catching 35 passes for 720 yards and nine touchdowns. A big-play tight end, six of his TD receptions went for 60 yards or longer, and he also scored on an 80-yard kickoff return. He was also the top wrestler in the East as he won the 2005 Beast of the East wrestling tournament competing as a heavyweight.
With the addition of Ragone, Kansas has now signed 26 players to its 2012 signing class. The Jayhawks have added six players as Division I transfers, nine junior college transfers and 11 high school athletes.
