Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM PRESEASON 2025 57 BY KYLE KELLY Notre Dame returned to Toledo (Ohio) Central Catholic, also the home of the Fighting Irish, this time to land its first tight end pledge of the 2026 cycle. On June 23, tight end recruit Pres- ton Fryzel, a four-star prospect, an- nounced his verbal commitment to head coach Marcus Freeman's program. The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder chose Notre Dame over Iowa and Miami, also hold- ing scholarship offers from 18 other Power Four programs. Fryzel attends the same high school that produced former Notre Dame starting quarterback DeShone Kizer. Fryzel, the No. 16 player in Ohio and No. 14 tight end nationally in the 2026 class according to Rivals, announced his decision about a week after concluding his official visit to South Bend, a trip that proved pivotal in his recruitment. "It just felt like home," Fryzel told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "It was dif- ferent from every other visit I've been on. Every other visit I've been on, there was always that, 'They were good, but.' There was no but for Notre Dame. It just felt right for me." Notre Dame was a late offer for Fryzel, who is the No. 296 overall player in the class according to Rivals. He received his scholarship tender May 21 after gen- eral manager Mike Martin visited one of Fryzel's baseball practices. Ultimately, the timing of the offer did not matter. Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, assistant tight ends coach Harris Bivin and other key staff members recruited him harder than any other program over the five weeks leading up to his commitment. "The relationship with the coaches was a big thing for me," Fryzel said. "From the first time I talked to Coach Denbrock, we just clicked. The recruit- ing staff, Coach Freeman, everybody — they're all great guys." Fryzel has received comparisons to former Irish tight end Tyler Eifert from the Notre Dame coaching staff. Eif- ert arrived at Notre Dame out of Fort Wayne (Ind.) Bishop Dwenger in 2009 as the No. 10 player in Indiana and No. 27 tight end nationally. As a high school junior, Eifert caught 33 passes for 586 yards (17.8 yards per catch) and 4 touch- downs. Fryzel, who also played wide receiver, surpassed Eifert's production, record- ing 43 receptions for 807 yards (18.8 yards per catch) and 10 touchdowns during his 16-game junior season. Like Eifert, Fryzel earned all-state honorable mention. Denbrock, who coached Eifert during his sophomore and junior seasons in South Bend, sees similarities between Fryzel and the former All-America tight end. "When we got into our meetings with Coach Denbrock, we were watching my tape and [Eifert's] tape," Fryzel said. "Coach Denbrock pulled up a clip of Tyler Eifert and was like, 'This is who you remind me of.'" There are some differences: Fryzel is about an inch-and-a-half shorter than Eifert, who measured 6-5½, 250 pounds at the 2013 NFL Scouting Com- bine. Fryzel said he checked in at 6-4, 218 pounds during his Notre Dame of- ficial visit. Though Fryzel is currently 30 pounds lighter than Eifert was at the end of his collegiate career, he trusts Notre Dame strength coach Loren Landow and com- pany's plan to develop him into a domi- nant tight end. "I feel confident in their strength staff," Fryzel said. "I'm a little under- sized right now, but I'm confident that Notre Dame will develop me to be a true mismatch and a matchup problem." Fryzel also appreciates that under Denbrock's guidance, he could have the opportunity to play professionally. Denbrock has developed multiple NFL tight ends, including Eifert, who was the No. 21 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. "He doesn't brag about his acco- lades," Fryzel said. "He's here at Notre Dame now. It's his third time back, and he's put 15 tight ends in the league. That's pretty big." In addition to his faith in the coach- ing and training staff to develop him, Fryzel believes in Freeman's program as a consistent national championship contender. The recruits joining him on the commit list reinforce that trust. "We got to watch the team run, and nobody was like, 'Oh, I don't want to be here,'" Fryzel said. "Everybody wanted to be there. Our 2026 class is a super tight group. We just need a couple more guys, and we could be a top class in 2026." ✦ COMMITMENT PROFILE PRESTON FRYZEL Fryzel, the No. 16 recruit in Ohio and No. 14 tight end in the country, has drawn comparisons to for- mer Irish tight end Tyler Eifert from the Notre Dame coaching staff. PHOTO BY KYLE KELLY 2026 Ohio Tight End Felt At Home With The Irish FILM ANALYSIS "Preston Fryzel is a prospect whom we've liked for some time at Rivals. You have to start with his receiving ability — he's a savvy, skilled pass-catching target as a tight end. He can re- ally find ways to get open at multiple levels of the field. Going through his junior film, I really loved his ability to create mismatches in the passing game. He provides Notre Dame with the ability to move all over a formation, and he's going to find ways to get open, particu- larly in the intermediate game, but also can stretch the field. "He runs well and was very productive with over 800 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior. When you look at Notre Dame's tight end room, he really gives them a skill set they can use. Notre Dame has been loading up on these big-bodied, in-line tight ends, and Fryzel provides a really nice change of pace as a guy who is more of a move-type. You can do a lot of different things with him." — Rivals director of scouting and rankings Charles Power