Fast rising 2026 pass catcher sets Notre Dame football official visit, and a Midwest battle could be brewing
Notre Dame football has been riding a strong wave of recruiting momentum over the last couple of months for the 2026 class. Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish staff already have tremendous running back, defensive line, and offensive line classes. There are several other positions that have a chance to be outstanding in […]
Notre Dame football has been riding a strong wave of recruiting momentum over the last couple of months for the 2026 class. Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish staff already have tremendous running back, defensive line, and offensive line classes. There are several other positions that have a chance to be outstanding in the end as well.
The pass catchers, both wide receiver and tight end groups, have a lot more questions surrounding them. For the latter, Notre Dame is in a good spot with Waukee (Iowa) High School tight end Evan Jacobson, but he still hasn’t made a decision yet. One interesting target to keep a close eye on is 2026 Toledo (Ohio) Central Catholic pass catcher Preston Fryzel.
The Ohio standout took an unofficial visit to South Bend recently, and it appears he will be heading back very soon. Fryzel has solidified his official visit to Notre Dame on June 13-15.
Fryzel is considered to be a three-star recruit by every major recruiting platform, which is a bit puzzling based on talent. He is currently rated as the No. 704 overall player, No. 39 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, 220-pound pass catcher managed to haul in 39 receptions for 740 pounds and 10 touchdowns. He averaged a stellar 19 yards per reception, an incredible number for a tight end.
If the Fighting Irish do decide to push, I expect them to be a massive player for Fryzel. He is scheduled to take his final official visit to Iowa on June 20-22, and they feel like the biggest competition. With Notre Dame planning on pushing for two tight ends, Fryzel would absolutely be a take for me right now, and I could not care less about his recruiting rankings.
Notre Dame football received unsurprising recruiting news on Monday that took absolutely nobody by surprise, but did raise some questions
Recent Notre Dame news raising some interesting questions
