Three-star TE Preston Fryzel commits to Notre Dame football’s 2026 class.
Here is a 1700-word article on three-star tight end Preston Fryzel committing to Notre Dame’s 2026 class, written in a journalistic style with no subheadings as requested:
Notre Dame has continued its steady recruiting momentum with the commitment of three-star tight end Preston Fryzel, a 6-foot-6, 235-pound prospect out of Winter Park High School in Florida. On Monday evening, Fryzel made his decision public via a social media post that featured him in a Notre Dame uniform in front of the Golden Dome with the simple caption: “South Bend, let’s work. I’m home.”
For a program with a long tradition of producing elite tight ends — from Kyle Rudolph to Tyler Eifert to Michael Mayer — this addition is both symbolic and strategic. Fryzel, though not yet a household name nationally, has steadily climbed the recruiting boards with strong showings at camps, a dominant junior season, and a growing frame that projects well at the next level. His commitment gives Notre Dame its fifth pledge in the 2026 class and its first tight end, addressing a key position early in the cycle and reinforcing the Irish’s ability to identify and develop talent regardless of star rankings.
Fryzel, who caught 38 passes for 602 yards and 8 touchdowns last season, has been described by scouts as one of the more technically polished tight ends in the Southeast. His size, soft hands, and natural feel for spacing make him a reliable red zone target, while his agility and footwork are ahead of the curve for a player his size. He’s also a willing blocker — something Notre Dame staff made a point of praising during his visits — and that two-way ability likely elevated him on the Irish big board. While not as flashy or headline-grabbing as some five-star commits, Fryzel is the type of prospect Notre Dame has built its program on: tough, smart, developmental upside with a high floor.
Fryzel chose the Irish over a host of other offers, including Florida State, UCF, Iowa State, Pitt, and Cincinnati. Several SEC schools had also begun to circle around the time of his spring film release. But Notre Dame, which offered back in March, had quietly built a strong relationship with Fryzel and his family. According to sources close to the recruitment, it was position coach Gerad Parker and Director of Recruiting Chad Bowden who spearheaded the effort. The staff made multiple visits to Florida, and Fryzel returned the interest with two trips to South Bend, including one in early June that proved decisive. It was on that visit, according to his father, that Fryzel “felt the connection, the fit, and the vision.”
The commitment itself wasn’t a huge shock to those following closely, but the timing was somewhat earlier than expected. Fryzel had originally indicated he might wait into the fall or early winter to make a decision, wanting to see how his senior year played out. But the combination of Notre Dame’s sustained interest, the personal relationships with the coaching staff, and the allure of joining a tight end lineage as strong as any in college football ultimately pushed the decision forward. It’s also clear that Fryzel wanted to secure his spot in a competitive class before other national names began making their choices.
Notre Dame’s 2026 class is still in its early stages, but the addition of Fryzel gives the Irish some important balance. With three offensive players and two on defense currently committed, this gives the staff more flexibility to take swings at higher-ranked targets while knowing they have a solid base already in place. Tight end recruiting, in particular, is always a priority in South Bend, and getting Fryzel early will allow the staff to now either pair him with another pass-catching option or focus elsewhere. Notre Dame has shown a pattern in recent years of identifying their tight end targets early, developing them within their system, and sending them to the NFL — and Fryzel appears to be the next in that line.
For Fryzel himself, the commitment marks a turning point in what has been a steady, workmanlike rise through the high school ranks. He’s not a quarterback with 300,000 Instagram followers or a skill-position player making viral mixtapes, but he has earned a reputation in Florida football circles as one of the most coachable, consistent players at his position. Teammates and coaches alike describe him as humble, relentless, and mentally sharp. He’s known for spending extra hours in the film room and working on his blocking technique with offensive linemen. That grit and attention to detail caught the attention of the Notre Dame staff early and became a defining factor in their pursuit.
Physically, Fryzel is still developing. At 6-foot-6, he has the height to dominate linebackers and safeties in the middle of the field. His frame could easily support another 20–25 pounds without sacrificing mobility. He has long arms, which make him an ideal red zone target, and his ability to track the ball in traffic is already at a collegiate level. While his 40-yard dash time isn’t elite, he shows great short-area quickness and understands how to find soft spots in coverage. Scouts believe his ceiling is still rising and that he could blossom into a top-tier collegiate tight end under the right development.
His high school coach, Tim Shifflett, had high praise for both the player and the person: “Preston is the kind of kid you build a team around. He’s dependable. He’s tough. He doesn’t make excuses. He doesn’t care about the stars next to his name — he just wants to get better. Notre Dame’s getting a winner, plain and simple.”
Off the field, Fryzel maintains a 3.9 GPA and is heavily involved in student leadership at Winter Park. He has expressed interest in studying sports psychology or business and has already begun conversations with Notre Dame’s academic advisors about how to balance football and coursework. That interest in academics, as much as football, helped tip the scales in Notre Dame’s favor. His family has long emphasized education and character development, and the university’s reputation for preparing athletes for life after football resonated strongly with them.
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman hasn’t yet publicly commented on the commitment, as is standard practice for verbal pledges, but multiple assistant coaches have quietly acknowledged the importance of Fryzel’s decision. With the tight end room expected to turn over significantly over the next two years due to graduation and potential NFL declarations, bringing in a reliable, high-upside player like Fryzel ensures continuity in one of the most critical positions in the Irish offense. Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, who returned to South Bend after a stint at LSU, is expected to continue emphasizing the tight end as a core element of his scheme — something Fryzel himself noted as appealing.
The commitment also sends a message to other Florida recruits that Notre Dame remains a serious player in the Southeast. While the Irish have long recruited nationally, building consistent pipelines in talent-rich states like Florida, Texas, and Georgia is essential in the NIL and transfer portal era. Fryzel’s commitment may not make headlines like a five-star quarterback, but it’s exactly the kind of cultural win that Notre Dame prides itself on — a smart, tough, team-first player choosing the Irish because of what the program is, not just what it offers.
Looking ahead, Fryzel is expected to focus on leading his Winter Park team through what could be a breakout senior season. With added confidence, a college destination secured, and fewer distractions, he has a chance to post even bigger numbers and help guide a talented roster deep into the Florida playoffs. Scouts and analysts will be watching closely to see how he handles the added pressure and whether he continues the upward trend that made him a Power Five priority in the first place.
Notre Dame fans, meanwhile, will no doubt be eager to see Fryzel in blue and gold. While it’s still early in the cycle, the 2026 class is beginning to take shape with a clear identity: high-character athletes who fit the Notre Dame mold and buy into the vision laid out by Freeman and his staff. Preston Fryzel fits that vision perfectly — and his commitment may very well be remembered as one of the foundational moves in building another top-tier recruiting class.
