Notre Dame Commit Ryder Frost: A Third-Generation Star Ready to Shine in South Bend

High school standout Ryder Frost, from a family of athletic legends, prepares to balance academics and Division I basketball at Notre Dame

Ryder Frost of Phillip Exeter Academy is a third-generation athlete and perfect fit for his future school, the University of Notre Dame. / Phillip Exeter Academy Athletics

There's something about the University of Notre Dame and how they recruit young men and women to come and set the example of what a student-athlete is. There is a level of grit and determination unmatched at the halls of the sacred university. You can be an underdog or one of the biggest recruits in the country to play for their athletic program. Or you can be both.

New Hampshire high school basketball star Ryder Frost, of Phillip Exeter Academy, fits the mold for what the Fighting Irish are all about. That's why he's eager to get over to South Bend shortly after he graduates next year.

"It just feels like a great connection with them," Frost said when talking about linking up with Notre Dame. "I just loved everything that they were about. So I'm excited."

The 6-6, 205-pound senior committed to Notre Dame in September after a long list of D1 schools in the country showed interest in him. Frost is ranked in the country's top 100 high school recruits via 247Sports. The small forward out of Beverley, Massachusetts, has physical prowess on the court, but an athlete's genetics in both mind and body go back a few generations.

If you had any doubts about whether Ryder was going to make an impact on the court as he left behind the world of high school ball for college, then you had best put them to bed now. Frost's father, Brady, has a resume of his own.

Brady Frost was one of the top baseball pitchers out of the University of Vermont (UVM) up in Burlington, Vermont. He won countless awards, such as the Larry Gardner Most Valuable Player award in 1992 and 1993, which his teammates voted on. After his senior year, he signed with the Montreal Expos organization and pitched for the Vermont Expos of the New York-Penn League in their inaugural season in 1994. Ten years later, in 2004, Brady received the highest honor a UVM athlete could ever get and was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame.

It goes a step further than that. Ryder's grandfather is Tom Brennan, a famous sports commentator and the head coach at UVM who led the Catamounts into a stunning upset over Syracuse during the 2005 March Madness tournament.

Tom Brennan, Ryder Frost's grandfather, was the head coach at Vermont when the Catamounts upset Syracuse in the 2005 NCAA Basketball Tournament. / University of Vermont Foundation

Ryder's father, Brady Frost, spoke about his son's grandfather and his praise for him.

"It's been a lot of fun with him, seeing his grandson go through with all of this. I swear he was

calling me like six times a day saying, 'what's the latest?'"

Through it all, Brady just wants his son to have a good time, both in his final season at Phillips Exter Academy and when he steps foot on campus at Notre Dame next summer for preseason training.

"I hope he is able to enjoy his last year of high school basketball and his time with his teammates and coaching staff at Exter," Brady Frost said. "And improve on the parts of his game that he wants to improve upon. Because division one basketball players are usually on campus 6-8 weeks in the summer."

Ryder, indeed, has a ton of hard work ahead of him. He graduates from Phillips Exter on June 8th, 2025, and the Notre Dame basketball team reports on campus on the same day. However, according to Ryder and his father, the school is giving him a bit of a window to enjoy the last few moments of being a senior before heading off to South Bend to play college ball.

Notre Dame may be getting Ryder Frost, the player, but like many D1 college prospects, the school they commit to is also recruiting the family that comes along with the player.

Ryder comes from a huge support system. Rather than having a sibling rivalry, his older brother Brennan is fully in tune with his brother's accomplishments. Brennan tracks Ryder's stats throughout each game, works on areas for improvement, and goes along for the ride with his brother every step of the way.

"I definitely grew up in a super supportive system coming from a sports family," Ryder said. "Brennan is like my number one supporter. He does all the stats for me, does all these write-ups and stuff to support so my family can just watch the game."

With making such big headlines out of the northeast to play at Notre Dame, a program now coached by Micah Shrewsberry, who has strong ties to the Boston Celtics. You'd think Frost would bite at the idea of turning pro once his college basketball career ends. However, he has his priorities in line as a student-athlete.

Ryder Frost fits the mold of a Notre Dame student-athlete and plans to pursue all the school has to offer, both athletically and academically. / Ryder Frost Instagram

"I haven't decided on my major yet, but I definitely wanted to do something related to business right now," Ryder said. "Notre Dame offered a lot in academics after meeting with their academic advisors. My parents have told me my whole life, 'You're a student-athlete; schools got to come first.’”

The narrative around Ryder becoming a third-generation collegiate superstar athlete is definitely obtainable. However, in a family, every generation always wishes that the next one could go a little further. Ryder Frost has the support system to aid in the stars aligning for just that.