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Former Notre Dame target lands at SEC school, which offers really intriguing upside for one of the best play callers in CFB

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Ryan Roberts | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 11:08 AM ET

It wasn’t too long ago that tight end recruiting for Notre Dame was a bit murky in the 2026 class. Then you blink your eyes, and the Fighting Irish now hold commitments from elite playmaker Ian Premer, and high upside pass catcher Preston Fryzel. What a difference a couple of weeks can make.

One of the top tight end targets to know early on was Mt. Zion (Ill.) High School tight end JC Anderson, a local player for Notre Dame that offered some nice upside. Anderson was a player that the Fighting Irish chose not to pursue heavily, even though there was a lot of early momentum.

On Tuesday, Anderson made his college decision, opting for the Ole Miss Rebels. Giving head coach this big body in the passing game is an intriguing overall fit. He has proven to be one of the very best play callers in college football.

BREAKING 4-star TE JC Anderson has committed to Ole Miss

More from @GregSmithRivals: https://t.co/yADFYsH1Vl pic.twitter.com/VRE31Ao5wb
— Rivals (@Rivals) July 1, 2025

Anderson is considered to be a consensus four-star player by each of the major recruiting platforms. On the 247Sports Composite ranking, he currently sits as the No. 147 overall player, No. 8 tight end, and No. 3 player in the state of Illinois for the 2026 recruiting class. Rivals seems to be the highest on Anderson right now, coming in at No. 131 overall on their ranking. He is inside the top 200 overall players by every platform.

The 6-6, 240-pound pass catcher opted for the Rebels over a lot of impressive options. Some of the top offers for Anderson include the Fighting Irish, Texas, Oregon, Michigan, LSU, Tennessee, Texas A&M, USC, Penn State, Florida, Auburn, Florida State, Nebraska, Arkansas, Missouri, Colorado, Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, UNC, Louisville, Baylor, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Duke, Kansas, Purdue, Stanford, Cincinnati, and Rutgers among others.

As a junior, Anderson put together a tremendous season. He managed to haul in 47 receptions for 535 yards and seven touchdowns on offense. Anderson also managed to make an impact on the defensive side of the ball as well, collecting 58 total tackles, 5.5 sacks, six quarterbacks hits, one interception, five pass breakups, four forced fumbles, and two more fumble recoveries.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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