Exploring Notre Dame’s History of Recruiting Top Talent from Toledo

Three-star tight end Preston Fryzel of Central Catholic High School (Toledo, Ohio) became the most recent Toledo-area player to commit to the Fighting Irish when the senior announced his college choice over the weekend.

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman greets his players during a Notre Dame football spring practice at Irish Athletic Center on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Holy Toledo!

Notre Dame's track record of landing northern Ohio players continued to grow after three-star tight end Preston Fryzel of Central Catholic High School (Toledo, Ohio) committed to the Fighting Irish on Monday.

Fryzel brings excitement as a prospect, largely because he's still growing into his body so much and reminds a well-respected college football recruiting guru of a former Notre Dame great.

HOME !!! ☘️☘️ https://t.co/GWPXZMMeCo

— Preston Fryzel (@prestonfryzel) June 23, 2025

Fryzel is the latest in quite a line of players to have made the journey from the Toledo area to Notre Dame.

A pair of such players, quarterbacks DeShone Kizer and tight end Dean Masztak, attended Central Catholic High, but that's hardly the list of Notre Dame standouts from the area.

Oct 15, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer (14) is consoled by running back Josh Adams (33) after Notre Dame lost to the Stanford Cardinal 17-10 at Notre Dame Stadium. Images | Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Dick Szymanski (Libbey High School) is arguably the most accomplished of them all. The linebacker for the Fighting Irish was on the 1953 National Championship team and then went on to win three NFL Championships with the Baltimore Colts and a Super Bowl later in his career as an executive.

Andy Huff (St. Francis de Sales High School) led the Irish with 10 rushing touchdowns as a senior in 1972 and Dan Harshman was a running back/defensive back on the 1966 National Championship team. Finally, Eddie Scharer and Frank (Abbie) Lockard were backup quarterbacks for the Irish during their college playing days.

It's no secret Ohio produces some of the most talent in football, and here's to hoping Fryzel is able to add to that legacy at Notre Dame soon.