Inside The Panthers

3-Star Tight End Adds Pitt to Top 5

One of the most productive tight ends in the 2026 class has announced his top-five college options, including the Pitt Panthers.
Kevin Sinclair|
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Arguably the top 2026 tight end prospect among those who have shown an interest in and visited the Pitt Panthers this cycle announced his top five list amid his college search.

Pittsburgh made the cut for Preston Fryzel alongside Cincinnati, Duke, Iowa, and Minnesota.

Additional schools on his offer list that didn't make the cut include Arizona, Auburn, Central Michigan, East Carolina, Kent State, Kentucky, Louisville, Marshall, Maryland, Massachusetts, Miami of Ohio, Michigan State, North Carolina, Northwestern, Purdue, Rutgers, Toledo, South Florida, Wake Forest, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Fryzel was a key contributor to Toledo (Ohio) Central Catholic's 14-2 season in 2024. As a junior, the 6-foot-4½, 215-pound tight end put together 43 catches for 807 yards and 10 touchdowns. His 18.7 yards per catch is worth noting.

In March, Fryzel visited Pittsburgh during spring camp (March 20) before his trip to Columbus the following day to check out Ohio State, and Ann Arbor a day later to see the Wolverines.

Later that month, he traveled East where he visited both Duke and North Carolina.

So far, Fryzel has three official visits booked. First, he'll be at Minnesota for a multi-day visit beginning on May 30. Duke will be his second trip beginning on June 6. And on June 20, the Midwestern recruit will kick off his official visit at Iowa, the most recent school to extend an offer.

Without question, the tight end position is crucial for the Panthers. It's part of why Pitt tight ends coach Jacob Bronowski was in Ohio late last week, attending Fryzel's baseball game.

Coach Bronowski was also in Maryland today to visit another coveted tight end prospect in Javonte Williams, a standout at The Bullis School in Potomac.

Current Pitt 2026 Verbal Commitments

  • QB Angelo Renda (Southlake [Tx.] Southlake Carroll)
  • WR Dylan Wester (Sarasota [Fla.] Booker)
  • LB/S Marus Jennings (Detroit [Mich.] Cass Tech)
  • S Isaac Patterson (Westerville [Ohio] Westerville South)

Current Pitt 2027 Verbal Commitments

  • WR Jacob Thomas (Pembroke Pines [Fla.] Flanagan)
  • RB Tyler Reid (Miramar [Fla.] High School)

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Kevin Sinclair
KEVIN SINCLAIR

Kevin Sinclair writes coverage of the Pitt Panthers along with the Baltimore Ravens, the New England Patriots, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Tennessee Titans for On SI. Previously, he was a recruiting reporter and managing editor at Irish Illustrated, the privately-owned Notre Dame site within the 247Sports Network, for over seven-and-a-half years. Kevin studied multimedia journalism and has been a sports writer for nearly a decade.

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