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Notre Dame football trending quickly for one of the most underrated pass catchers in the 2026 recruiting class

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Ryan Roberts | Last updated Jun 5, 2025 10:52 PM ET

Notre Dame football is in a bit of a weird place when it comes to 2026 tight end recruiting. They have seemingly been in a great place for Waukee (Iowa) High School standout Evan Jacobson for some time, but they are still waiting for him to pull the trigger. The Fighting Irish hope to land two tight ends in this 2026 recruiting class, but there is still a lot of work to do.

The program is still receiving some big time players like Great Bend (Kansas) High School five-star Ian Premer, as well as keeping their eyes close on a couple of really underrated players. There may not be a tight end more undervalued in the class right now than 2026 Toledo (Ohio) Central Catholic toss catcher Preston Fryzel.

The Ohio native was fresh off of an unofficial visit to South Bend this week.

Had a great visit to Notre Dame yesterday !! @AllenTrieu @SWiltfong_ @ChadSimmons_ @adamgorney @GregSmithRivals @MikeDenbrock @HarrisBivin @justice_bathas @myraaann pic.twitter.com/BZRy4K4ZNv
— Preston Fryzel (@prestonfryzel) June 5, 2025

Fryzel is considered to be a three-star recruit by every major recruiting platform, which is a bit puzzling. He is currently rated as the No. 696 overall player, No. 38 tight end, and No. 29 player in the state of Ohio for the 2026 recruiting class according to the 247Sports Composite ranking. The On3 Industry ranking has Fryzel ranked as the No. 46 tight end in the class.

Even with those lower rankings, Fryzel has been pursued by a long list of programs. Some of the top offers Fryzel currently holds include the Fighting Irish, Miami, Auburn, Iowa, Indiana, Louisville, Kentucky, UNC, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Rutgers, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Duke, Maryland, Arizona, West Virginia, Northwestern, Wake Forest, and Purdue among several others.

Fryzel is coming off of a dynamic season for Central Catholic. The 6-4, 225-pound pass catcher managed to haul in 39 receptions for 740 pounds and 10 touchdowns. He averaged a stellar 19 yards per reception, an insane number for a tight end.

After the visit, it appears that Notre Dame is trending very quickly for Fryzel. The big question is going to be whether they will push hard for him, or continue to eventuate where the board stands. While there may be some tight ends who are more ready to contribute early on in their careers, Fryzel has some huge long term upside.

He would be a hard player for me to pass up on if he wanted to come wear the blue and gold.

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

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