Lane Kiffin shares Caden Prieskorn is away from team after the death of his father

Tragedy struck the Prieskorn family this week, reaching beyond the families native southeast Michigan, as Gerald “Jerry” Prieskorn, father of Ole Miss tight end Caden Prieskorn and Michigan tight end commit Brady Prieskorn, died. He was 52.

As such, the elder Prieskorn son has been away from his Rebels teammates and back home with family in the Detroit suburbs. Along with Caden and Brady, Prieskorn is survived by two more children, Peyton and Skylar, and his wife, Jill.

Caden’s head coach, Lane Kiffin, shared condolences and considered the difficultly of trying to handle losing ones father.

“Well he’s back there, now. So he really hasn’t been around his teammates. So, he’s a wonderful kid. Obviously a horrible thing to have to go through to lose your dad and know you’re losing him for a while now. It’s unimaginable,” Kiffin said on the SEC coaches teleconference. “So, I just really appreciate how he still tries to help people, be a positive influence around here as he was going through this for a while.” 

An online obituary shared how each of the Prieskorn children will remember their father.

“Jerry has left a lasting impact on his children that could never be matched. Caden will miss the selflessness that Jerry taught him. Peyton will miss the comfort of his dad’s unconditional support. Brady will miss talking to him after his games and spending time together watching Star Wars and Marvel movies. Skylar will miss the encouragement she continuously received from him, but most of all, his ability to make her laugh. His light will continue to shine through his children and the things he has instilled in them,” it reads.

Caden Prieskorn transferred to Ole Miss ahead of the 2023 season after starting his college career at Memphis. He has four catches for 62 yards this season, his fourth in college football.

Brady Prieskorn plays high school football at Rochester (Mich.) High School, where he’s a four-star prospect and the No. 87 player in the 2024 signing class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He’s been committed to Michigan since the summer.

“Jerry’s love for sports was matched only by his love for his family. He cherished watching his children’s activities and was their biggest supporter. Jerry spent 30 years of his life with his best friend, Jill, enjoying cheering on their kids, going to movies, and grabbing dinner at Gino’s,” the obituary reads.