Preston Fryzel

Physical Profile

Listed at 6-4, 220 lbs. Taller than 22% and heavier than 23% of 2026 Tight End prospects in the SEC Scouts database (116 with a listed size).

Play Style

He plays like an oversized receiver who lines up at tight end. He works mostly flexed or detached, runs the seam and the corner, and makes contested catches at his high point using his length and the ball skills from baseball. Once the ball is in his hands he runs with long strides and gets vertical quickly; that is the source of the 20+ yards per catch. Central Catholic also used him as a runner in space. As a blocker he is a willing positional player on the move rather than a people-mover in line, which is what you would expect from a 215-pound high school tight end.

Strengths

• Big-play receiving production that held up over two seasons: 43-807-10 (18.8 YPC) as a junior on a team that reached the state title game, then 38-894-8 (23.5 YPC) in 15 games as a senior. That is vertical, explosive production rather than a checkdown tight end's volume.
• Mismatch value against linebackers and safeties. His receiver-like frame and speed let him threaten the seam and win from the slot or a flexed alignment, and Notre Dame staff and beat coverage describe him as one of the most physically gifted pass catchers in the tight end room.
• He is productive after the catch and dangerous with the ball. Some recruiting services listed him as an athlete (SI called him a three-star 2026 ATH during his Cincinnati visit), which shows how much he moves the ball once he has it.
• Strong competitive makeup. Notre Dame GM Mike Martin offered him after watching him at baseball practice. He was a key piece of Central Catholic's run to the state final, and as a senior he helped the team recover from an 0-3 start. Coverage of his signing notes that he treats setbacks as motivation.

Areas to Improve

• Weight and functional strength. Getting from about 225 to 240+ is the main requirement before he can take in-line snaps against Power Four defensive ends. Right now he is mostly a flexed or detached option.
• In-line blocking technique. His high school usage was receiving-heavy, so he needs to develop his hand placement, pad level and ability to sustain blocks at the point of attack, both as a down blocker and as a wham/split-zone insert, to become a full-time tight end.
• Route detail at the college level. Big-play high school production often comes from winning with length and speed. Against college coverage he will need sharper stems and cleaner breaks, plus the ability to beat press from the slot.

College Projection

He has been at Notre Dame since the spring of 2026 as an early enrollee. By the Irish's own depth-chart logic, he is behind five-star classmate Ian Premer, who was considered more ready to contribute right away. The likely path is a developmental 2026 with special teams and limited 12-personnel snaps, possibly a redshirt, while he builds toward 240 pounds. A rotational move/'Y' role in 2027 is realistic, with the chance to become a starting receiving tight end as a redshirt sophomore or junior (2028-29) if the weight gain comes without losing burst.

NFL Outlook

He has a mid-round tight end profile with upside. Tall, fluid tight ends who produce vertically are the ones the NFL values, but his outcome depends almost entirely on the frame. If he reaches 245-250 while keeping his speed and becomes an adequate in-line blocker, he projects as a Day 2-3 'move' tight end in the mold of recent Notre Dame tight ends. If the weight doesn't come, he risks being classified as a big slot receiver or a situational 'F' tight end, which usually means a Day 3 grade or priority free agency. The earliest realistic draft window is 2029.

Best Fit

A pro-style or multiple offense that uses 12 personnel and flexes the 'Y' into the slot, such as Notre Dame's tight end-heavy system. That scheme needs a vertical seam threat to pair with a more traditional in-line tight end, which matches the Fryzel-Premer pairing. Programs with strong strength-and-conditioning development and patience to redshirt maximize his value. A spread offense that would permanently move him to wide receiver would waste his mismatch potential at tight end.