Notre Dame Commit Profile: Tight End Preston Fryzel

Notre Dame landed another talented player in its 2026 class with Ohio tight end Preston Fryzel committing to the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame beat out Miami (Fla.), Iowa, Minnesota and plenty others to land this talented pass catcher.

Let's take a look at Fryzel as a recruit.

PRESTON FRYZEL PROFILE

Hometown/High School: Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic

Height/Weight: 6-4, 215

IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 250 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.5 (Top 75 caliber prospect)

2024 Stats: 43 catches, 807 yards, 18.8 YPC, 10 TD

Recruited By: Mike Denbrock

Offers: Notre Dame, Miami (Fla.), Iowa, Louisville, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Kentucky, North Carolina, West Virginia, Minnesota, Duke, Rutgers, Northwestern, Cincinnati

Player Comp: Noah Fant, Iowa

RECRUITING RANKINGS

On3: 3-star - No. 17 tight end
247Sports: 3-star - No. 23 tight end
Rivals: 3-star
247Sports Composite: 3-star - No. 712 overall - No. 39 tight end
On3 Consensus: 3-star - No. 745 overall - No. 40 tight end

NOTRE DAME FIT

Notre Dame has a long history of talented pass catching tight ends, and Fryzel certainly fits that mold. There are a variety of tight end roles in the Notre Dame offense, and Fryzel fits the movement tight end position. That player will move around the offense and spend a lot of time both in the slot and lined up about wide. That player will also move a lot presnap. That player is also asked to be just as effective as a pass catcher as he is in the run game, which also suits Fryzel perfectly.

FILM ANALYSIS

Fryzel has the length needed to thrive in the pass game at the tight end position. He's on the thin side right now but shows a solid frame that should allow him to add plenty of good weight without losing his athleticism and speed. Fryzel shows good length and a well above average pass catching radius, traits that are essential for a pass catching tight end.

The Toledo Central Catholic standout is a savvy pass catcher, and his overall pass game skillset is top notch. Fryzel has impressive ball skills on every level. He's a strong hands catcher, he tracks the deep ball extremely well, he shows outstanding body control and he can make plays in traffic. Fryzel doesn't have to be wide open to make big plays thanks to his top notch ball skills and ability to make difficult contested catches.

Fryzel is a strong all-around athlete, which combines quite nicely with his ball skills. He shows a really good burst off the line and he can quickly eat up space as a route runner. His ability to get downfield quickly and his second gear allows him to get over the top and makes him highly effective working the seams.

Fryzel has really good agility and foot quickness, which he applies well as a route runner and with the ball in his hands. He shows a good feel as a route runner. He attacks leverage, uses his hands well to limit jams, he accelerates well out of breaks and he knows how to find soft spots in the zone. These traits combine with his speed to allow him to be an effective route runner on all three levels (short, intermediate, deep).

Fryzel works a lot of the slot and he thrives with all the routes Notre Dame uses with its tight ends in those looks. But his combination of athleticism, route running prowess and ball skills project well to him lining up outside as well. That's a unique part of his game and gives Notre Dame some unique opportunities to use him in ways it can use its boundary receiver. 

The big knock right now on Fryzel is his strength and blocking ability, or lack of. He spends the entire game in the slot or outside, and on a high number of TCC run plays he is running an RPO route. On most others he's blocking on the perimeter. There are very few plays of him blocking in the box. He's a legit pass game weapon, but to receive a higher grade and to be an impact player at the next level he'll need to develop this part of his game more.