Notre Dame fans have been waiting for them to add a tight end in the 2026 class for a long time. Typically the tight end position is over and done with for them early in the process, but it’s taken longer in this cycle.
They plan on taking two and they just added the first with the addition of Preston Fryzel. A multi-sport athlete (baseball) with tremendous receiver skills, Fryzel is an extremely talented prospect with a sky high ceiling.
I love this pick up for Notre Dame.
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 220
Projected Position: Tight end
ISD Grade: 92 (4-star)
National Average Grade: 88.2 (3-star)
What he does best:
Fryzel has elite ball skills. He does a fantastic job adjusting to the ball and has great body control.
He has the speed to threaten down the seam and can make teams have to defend that area at all times. He averaged 18.8 yards per reception last season. It’s clear he has a great understanding at how to attack the leverage of a defender and also use his strength to create separation at the catch point.
He’s a receiver who can win from multiple alignments. He should be another Notre Dame tight end who can line up on the boundary and will be too big for most corners to handle.
Fryzel is a threat after the catch with his speed and can do real damage when gets space.
What he needs to improve:
Although he doesn’t play as a traditional “Y” tight end, he’s a willing blocker who isn’t afraid to get after it on the perimeter. He has some edge to him.
Right now he’s more of a big receiver. Him playing in-line at times is part of his game that will need to develop and he’ll need some time for physical development as well. We’ll see how much he grows in that area before he gets to Notre Dame, but it will be an adjustment for him to become more of a complete player at the position and to play in-line.
What’s his ceiling?
I think Fryzel is massively underrated right now. His rating at this point in the process is similar to what Eli Raridon’s was the summer before his senior season and he made a big jump in the rankings and ended up as a top-100 prospect. I think we could see a similar trajectory for Fryzel.
Iowa evaluates and develops the tight end as well as any program and I see a lot of similar traits to former Iowa tight end Sam LaPorta. He became a very productive player for the Hawkeyes and eventually was selected in the second round of the NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Notre Dame general manager Mike Martin, the former director of scouting advancement for the Lions, was the one who offered Fryzel.
LaPorta was an under the radar prospect as was former Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert. For Irish fans, he’s a comp to look at. Eifert was coached by Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock and I think Fryzel has a lot of similarities to Eifert with his ball skills and ability after the catch.
I realize those are big time players to compare him to, but that’s the skill set and ceiling that Fryzel possesses.
Who he could be:
Former Notre Dame TE Tyler Eifert or former Iowa TE Sam LaPorta
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