Add another five-star to Notre Dame’s best-ever recruiting class: Great Bend (Kan.) tight end Ian Premer.
On Tuesday, the 6-foot-5, 225-pound pass-catcher earned his fifth star from Rivals in its final rankings release for the 2026 class. Premer, who is ranked as the country’s No. 1 tight end this cycle, is now a five-star by two of the three major recruiting services.
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According to Rivals, he checks in as the No. 27 prospect nationally and one of five five-star signees for the Fighting Irish. He was dominant as a senior this fall, impacting the game in multiple facets. As a receiver, he had 40 catches for 734 yards (18.4 yards per catch) and 14 touchdowns during his 12-game senior season. He was also a force in the run game with 620 yards and 14 scores.
Premer starred defense and returned punts, too. On defense, he had 68 tackles (35 solo), 5 stops for loss, 1 sack, 6 interceptions — 2 returned for touchdowns — 1 fumble recovery, 1 forced fumble and 1 blocked field goal. In the return game, he took 11 punts for 103 yards.
That, along with his freakish athletic profile, set him apart from other tight ends in the class. Rivals’ National Scout Cody Bellaire writes this of Premer:
“He fits the mold of the modern tight end prospect. He stands at nearly 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, and he plays both ways on offense and defense with a background in basketball and baseball. His size and movement skills for the tight end are tremendous. His ability to get in and out of his breaks allows him to create separation at every level of the field. Bigger defenders can’t run with him and smaller defenders don’t have the length or physicality to effectively attack the ball against him. Plus, he’s a willing blocker who plays with physicality and strong leverage at the point of attack.
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…But Premer’s ability to catch the football and make defenders miss in space is undoubtedly his greatest strength. He can turn first downs into touchdowns nearly every time he touches the football. He has one of the highest ceilings of any offensive prospect in the country.”
Championship aspirations, academics pushed Premer to Notre Dame
Premer chose the Fighting Irish over more than 25 other Power 4 offers, including Oregon, Miami, Michigan, USC, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Penn State and Tennessee.
Notre Dame extended its offer on Feb. 1, less than two weeks after playing in the national championship game.
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“On the football side, with their national championship run last year and this class so far is speaking for itself with how impressive it is,” Premer told BlueandGold.com’s Mike Singer in June. “Going forward, Notre Dame is going to continue to be really good. You combine the football side with the academics and you realize the type of special place it is.”
