CLASS IMPACT: Notre Dame Lands Talented Tight End Ian Premer
CLASS IMPACT: Notre Dame Lands Talented Tight End Ian Premer originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Notre Dame remains on fire by landing a commitment from 2026 tight end Ian Premer. The Great Bend (Kan.) High School star picked Notre Dame over Kansas State and Iowa State, giving the other another commitment from one of the nation's best players.
Advertisement
Let's break down how this commitment impacts the Notre Dame 2026 class and the Irish depth chart.
NOTRE DAME CLASS IMPACT
Premer is the 22nd player to commit to Notre Dame in the 2026 class. He's the 13th offensive player to commit to the Fighting Irish in this class and he's the second tight end, joining Ohio standout Preston Fryzel.
Notre Dame signed one of the nation's best tight ends in the 2025 class by landing James Flanigan. The Irish also signed a four-star tight end in the 2024 class by landing Jack Larsen. Notre Dame tried to land a second tight end in the 2025 class but ultimately landed only one. The loss of Eli Raridon and Kevin Bauman after the 2025 season, and possibly Ty Washington and Cooper Flanagan after the following season, the Irish are overall thin on numbers, which is why a second tight end was a must in this class.
Advertisement
Join the Notre Dame Champions Lounge for the latest intel and analysis of the Fighting Irish!
Landing Fryzel and Premer gives the Notre Dame two of the best pass catching tight ends in the country. Flanigan is more of a throwback tight end that can do a ton of damage attached and can also move around. Notre Dame needed a complementary skillset in the 2026 class and both Premer and Fryzel provide that.
Premer is also a Top 50 national player, so landing one of the nation's best pass catchers and top ranked players provides even more momentum for the Irish in the 2026 class.
NOTRE DAME FIT
Notre Dame's best tight ends over the last 20 years have all been different players, but the majority of them have been impact pass catchers first and foremost. Premer is that kind of weapon, one that can develop into a dominant pass catcher at the next level. He can line up attached, but he can do damage all over, and his game is arguably even better suited to move around and line up outside and in the slot. Landing a player with dual-threat ability that can also impact the run game is also ideal. Right now Premer is a work in progress in the run game, but even there his potential to impact the offense is quite high.
FILM ANALYSIS
Premer is listed at 6-5 and 225 pounds and his frame is impressive. He has long arms - which gives him an elite catch radius - and he has the frame to add a lot of strength and good weight. I don't know if he'll fill out quite as much as Kyle Rudolph, but overall his frame reminds me a lot of the former Notre Dame standout tight end. Premer is a basketball player in high school, so that helps keep his weight down, but once he stops playing basketball in the offseason he'll fill out quickly.
Advertisement
This is a long striding athlete that can really run. Premer covers a lot of ground and shows the speed to be a home run threat at the next level. He explodes off the ball and quickly gets to top speed, which also shows up when he makes the catch and runs away from defenders. But his second gear makes him a big play weapon, and that speed translates to the next level quite nicely.
If you want an idea of the kind of athlete Premer is, watch him running the ball out of the backfield, where he's planting vertically on outside zone and creasing the defense. His foot quickness is impressive and allows him to get clean breaks coming out of his top ends. On top of having the athletic skill to be a good route runner, Premer also shows a good understanding of how to win as a route runner. He'll pick the Notre Dame route tree up in a hurry. His athleticism also helps him make defenders miss after the catch, making him a legit after the catch weapon as well. Mike Denbrock likes to run tight end screens, and Premer should thrive in those concepts thanks these traits.
Premer has impressive ball skills. On top of having a big catch radius he does a great job of attacking the football and catching it away from his body. He tracks the deep ball extremely well and he shows the body control you want and need to be a highly effective contested catch player. His length, fast hands and aggressiveness going after the ball combine with his speed to make him a matchup nightmare once the ball is in the air. Once he gets stronger he'll be one of those "just throw it up to him" kind of weapons.
Premer is a willing blocker and that will eventually be a strength, especially when working on the perimeter. As he adds more strength I expect this to become at least an area where he's good, but there's potential for it to become a strength.
Advertisement
Be sure to check out the Irish Breakdown message board, the Champions Lounge
Irish Breakdown Content
2025 Scholarship Chart
2025 Football Schedule
Notre Dame 2026 Commits
Notre Dame 2026 Scholarship Offers
2025 Commit Rankings - Offense
2025 Commit Rankings - Defense
2024 Recruiting Class
2023 Recruiting Class
2022 Recruiting Class
———————
Become a premium Irish Breakdown member, which grants you access to all of our premium content and our premium message board! Click on the link below for more.
BECOME A MEMBER
Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time!
Join the Irish Breakdown community!
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown YouTube channel
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunes
Follow me on Twitter: @CoachD178
Like and follow Irish Breakdown on Facebook
Sign up for the FREE Irish Breakdown daily newsletter
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Grading New York Knicks' 2025 NBA Draft
Grading New York Knicks' 2025 NBA Draft originally appeared on Athlon Sports. It has been an interesting offseason thus far for the New York Knicks after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000 last season. Advertisement Of course, the Knicks started off their summer by firing head coach Tom Thibodeau and they are the only team still looking for a new head coach for next season. New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau.© Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images While the Knicks continue their coaching search, they entered the 2025 NBA Draft looking to add another young player to their roster though they only held one pick in the draft. New York held the 50th pick in the 2025 draft but they sent that to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for the 51st pick and cash considerations. With the 51st selection, the Knicks drafted French forward Mohamed Diawara to upgrade their frontcourt depth. This selection was a surprising one by New York as many believed that Diawara would likely be an undrafted free agent as he had not quite converted his game to the LNB Elite league in France. Knicks' 2025 NBA Draft Grade: D Because of this, the Knicks earned a D grade for their 2025 draft as they reached on Diawara, though he does have the physical tools to eventually develop into a solid NBA player in New York. Advertisement Last season in the LNB Elite league in France, the 20-year-old forward averaged 5.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 38.3% from the field and 31.0% from three-point range. This was an improvement from his prior seasons in France and if the Knicks can continue to help him develop, he could become a solid role player for them off the bench. Diawara is a solid scorer, though he does need to improve on his shooting percentages and his 6-8 frame should help him on the defensive side of the ball. While it may have been a reach for the Knicks, they hope that Diawara can continue his development and become a key piece to their roster in the future. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
How to watch Wilder vs Herndon: TV channel and live stream for boxing tonight
Deontay Wilder is back in action tonight as he fights Tyrrell Herndon in Kansas. 'The Bronze Bomber' returns for the first time since his emphatic stoppage defeat by Zhilei Zhang on the inaugural Queensberry vs Matchroom 5v5 card in Riyadh last summer. That sobering loss followed Wilder's unexpected points defeat by Joseph Parker just prior to Christmas 2023, scuppering plans to finally meet Anthony Joshua and leading to questions about a potential retirement from boxing following a torrid run of just one win in his last five bouts - a first-round knockout of Robert Helenius in October 2022. However, the former long-time WBC heavyweight champion is not ready to throw in the towel on his career just yet and begins another comeback attempt against little-known opponent Herndon on Friday night at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita. Wilder is eager to reignite ambitions for a long overdue showdown with Joshua later in 2025 and will hope to roll back the years with an emphatic stoppage of his fellow American this evening. However, a shock upset against a fighter with whom the majority of the boxing public will be unfamiliar would surely end those chances for good and leave him with no choice but to hang up the gloves. Joshua will have a keen eye on proceedings no doubt as he continues to recover from elbow surgery that has delayed his comeback from that comprehensive defeat by IBF champion Daniel Dubois at Wembley last year. Wilder vs Herndon is being shown live via BLK Prime Pay-Per-View, a subscription to which costs $6.99 a month or $59.99 for the year.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Regardless of Ace Bailey's desires, Jazz made right move drafting him
On Wednesday night, the Utah Jazz did the necessary: They used the No. 5 pick of the NBA Draft to select Ace Bailey, a move that, for the first time in more than a year, sent real waves of hope through their fan base. The Jazz had to do that. They lost 65 games in grand fashion this past season. They were arguably the worst team in the league. And then, they got very unlucky in the lottery, falling to the fifth pick, which was their worst case. They needed to leave the draft with a player who has All-Star and All-NBA potential. Bailey has some major warts as a player, warts that give him a low floor to go with his high ceiling. But nobody can argue with the ceiling. At 6-foot-9 and one of the best shooters in the draft, Bailey has as much potential as almost anyone in the field. Advertisement On Thursday night, reports surfaced that Bailey is having second thoughts about reporting to the Jazz, which has forced the Jazz to address the situation. The Rutgers product was clearly and visibly not happy being selected by Utah. In the days and weeks leading up to the draft, it became clear that Bailey and his representation were trying to force a desired outcome from Wednesday night. Bailey didn't work out for a single team, the only lottery prospect to not do so. He had a workout scheduled with the Philadelphia 76ers, but that workout was canceled. On Thursday night, Avery Bradley, Utah's vice president of player development, seemed unbothered by the situation. But the fact that the situation is being talked about forced him to talk about it. 'For me, it is my understanding that all of our draft picks will be here this weekend and preparing for summer league,' Bradley said. If you look at things with common sense, it seems very far-fetched that Bailey would do anything other than report to the Jazz and begin his professional basketball career. The Jazz front office is run by Austin Ainge, Danny Ainge and Justin Zanik. When Zanik traded Donovan Mitchell, Mitchell was dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers when there was immense pressure to trade him to the New York Knicks. And when has anyone known someone with the last name of Ainge to be intimidated? The Jazz knew through the actions of Bailey's representation that Bailey wouldn't do backflips if Utah selected him. The Jazz didn't care. They took him anyway. And that's exactly what they should have done. Utah is not a destination in free agency among star players. The Jazz, in the past three years, have tried to trade for players, only for their agents to step in and tell them that player wouldn't sign an extension. Those are some of the things that Utah's front office can't control. Ace in the hole, out west 🏔️💜#TakeNote | #NBADraft — Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) June 26, 2025 But drafting a player? That's the one avenue of player acquisition that's completely within Utah's control. In many ways, this is the plight of the small-market team in the NBA. There are some outlier destinations, such as the San Antonio Spurs. But for the most part, the NBA is agent-driven when it comes to the free-agency market and the trading of significant players who are on short-term contracts. Player empowerment is a good thing. That being said, Bailey's situation seems extreme. Advertisement On Thursday night, the Jazz should have been taking victory laps for a strong draft that includes Florida star Walter Clayton Jr., one of the most dynamic guards of the first round. And the masses should be talking about how Bailey fits into head coach Will Hardy's system. Most likely, it will turn out that way because there is little recourse for a player once a franchise drafts him and assumes team control. But even a smidgeon of doubt is something the Jazz and a fan base starving for something good to latch on to shouldn't have to deal with. 'I think there is always going to be outside noise,' Bradley said. 'But Ace's dream was to get drafted, and he's blessed to have been drafted by the Utah Jazz. We are excited to have him. We are excited to get him here and excited to get him a part of our family, so he can begin to show who he is as a player.' If nothing else, this shines a light on the cat-and-mouse game of the predraft process. Bailey's situation has been extreme. But in terms of the predraft game of chicken his representation played, led by agent Omar Cooper, it isn't all that atypical. A decade ago, the Jazz had to deal with a prospect openly not wanting to be drafted by them. A young Dante Exum told reporters that he wouldn't work out in Utah because the Jazz already had Trey Burke playing point guard, who was a lottery pick the year before. Utah, ironically, had the No. 5 pick in that draft. The Jazz front office scoffed at the notion of being scared off and, sure enough, took Exum because he was the top player on its board. Now, given the results of that draft, they probably should have taken Marcus Smart or Julius Randle. But that's a conversation for another day. The point is the Jazz front office has a history of not giving in to what a prospect wants. The irony of it all, from a basketball standpoint, is that Bailey and his representation should be overjoyed with where he landed. Bailey's team made it clear during the predraft process that it wanted Bailey to be in a situation where he could make a significant impact in his rookie season. Depending on what Utah does in free agency, Bailey has a real chance to start at small forward or shooting guard on opening night. Bailey's ability to shoot, with or without movement, is something that Hardy has been able to unlock in the past. It is no coincidence that Lauri Markkanen became an All-Star level player under Hardy, and his system of playing with the pass, instead of playing with the dribble. Bailey is arguably one of the two best shotmakers in the draft, with Tre Johnson his competition. His size allows him to play to spots and shoot over defenders. He is a very good vertical athlete and someone who, by all accounts, will work hard to improve his game. In a basketball sense, Bailey and Utah are a terrific match. Advertisement The question of whether players want to land in Utah is one that's been around for generations. And the irony is that multiple players who have left the Jazz over the years have expressed remorse concerning their choices. Deron Williams, a star point guard under the late and great Jerry Sloan, is the best example. What the Jazz have going for them is opportunity. Their facilities are top-notch, in comparison to the rest of the league. The Jazz try hard to make their players feel comfortable within the team and the community. Obviously, the appeal of the big market and the big city isn't there. Players love nightclubs and nightlife. Salt Lake City, as a city, is more cultural and more active than it will ever get credit for. But even with a district of clubs, led by Lake Effect on Saturday nights, that are terrific and draw a bunch of people weekly, can SLC compare to a New York or Los Angeles? Of course not. And players want to be a part of that. You can't blame twentysomethings for wanting the life of twentysomethings. Agents know this, and that's why the predraft process gets messy. Players decline to work out. Agents decline to provide medicals for teams. Agents try to steer players toward desired destinations. It's a tale as old as time. But usually, once a player gets drafted, he gets drafted. The shenanigans stop. Of course, there are times when player reaction makes for a funny story on draft night. Bailey looked like he needed to blink twice because he was in danger when shaking commissioner Adam Silver's hand Wednesday night. Collin Murray-Boyles looked less than pleased that he was drafted by the Toronto Raptors. A decade ago, Zach Lavine looked heated when he was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Way back when, Steve Francis looked distraught to be drafted by the then-Vancouver Grizzlies. These things happen, and for whatever reason. A position and pathway to playing time may not be there. Maybe the player doesn't like snow. Maybe the state taxes are high. There are differing reasons. But usually, the player realizes the money that's at stake, shows up and begins the countdown toward unrestricted free agency. In all likelihood, that's what will happen with Bailey and the Jazz. And if that happens, Bailey is talented enough to become a terrific NBA player. But the fact that this has been a thing is something that may spark conversation at the highest levels of the NBA. And it shines a light on what has become a dirty game behind the scenes during the predraft process. And, make no mistake. It's a game that's been played for generations. Bailey's game was played out for the public to digest. That's the only difference.
