Tight End U strikes again: Notre Dame scores new 2026 weapon

The Notre Dame football staff's recruiting heater is still very much in progress. That was demonstrated again on Monday when tight end prospect Preston Fryzel announced he was officially committed to the Fighting Irish.

Fryzel is a 3-star, 6-foot-4, 215 player out of Central Catholic (Toledo, OH). He's the No. 40 tight end and No. 30 player in Ohio, according to the On3 Industry rankings. While that makes him somewhat of a diamond in the rough, Marcus Freeman and his staff long ago tagged him as a priority target for a school often called Tight End U.

Notre Dame football recruiting adds 3-star tight end Preston Fryzel to 2026 class

"Honestly, it just felt like home," Fryzel told On3 before publicizing his commitment. "It was different 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. It's different."

Notre Dame was a late offer for Fryzel, but in the end, the timing of Freeman and his crew entering the picture didn't matter. They could show him that South Bend is where he was supposed to be, even if they took a little time realizing he was who they needed at the tight end position.

The prospect definitely feels like he can offer something to Mike Denbrock's attack.

"I'd say I'm more of a receiving tight end," Fryzel told Irish Sports Daily earlier this spring. "They've kind of got the all around guys. They kind of need that receiving guy to come in who can be a mismatch on the outside, kind of play him as a wide receiver, but I'm still big enough to go in the box and block and be a problem."

Notre Dame football now has 20 commitments in its 2026 class, and a few more top targets are expected to announce their commitments to the Fighting Irish in the very near future.