Defender with Big Ten scholarship offers to return to Notre Dame for another summer visit
One of Illinois’ top rising junior high school football prospects is set to return to South Bend later this month. Frankfort (Ill.) Lincoln-Way East EDGE rusher Caden O’Rourke will visit Notre Dame for its annual “grill and chill” recruiting cookout on July 30.
The 6-foot-5, 207-pound O’Rourke participated in the Fighting Irish’s Evaluation Camp III on June 22. It was his third college football camp during June and the only one that didn’t result in a scholarship offer.
In the days before camping at Notre Dame, O’Rourke camped at Northwestern and Illinois and picked up offers from both programs. He reports six other full-ride scholarship offers, including ones from Iowa and Louisville. He also paid an unofficial college recruiting visit to Iowa State last month.
Last football season, O’Rourke had 51 tackles, 10 sacks and six tackles for loss as a sophomore.
He is the younger brother of current Northwestern defensive lineman Devin O’Rourke, who held a Notre Dame offer as a recruit. The elder O’Rourke finished the 2018 recruiting cycle as a four-star recruit and the No. 284 overall player, No. 18 EDGE and No. 3 prospect in Illinois, per the On3 Industry Ranking.
The younger O’Rourke does not yet hold an On3 or On3 Industry Ranking. His On3 NIL Valuation annual value is $5,2000.
Twelve other targets confirmed to visit Notre Dame on July 30
In addition to O’Rourke, Blue & Gold has confirmed the following 2025 recruits will also visit Notre Dame for its “grill and chill” cookout on July 30. Each already reports an offer from the Fighting Irish.
Bryant (Ark.) High running back Daniel Anderson
Atlanta Woodward Academy wide receiver Jerome Bettis Jr.
Winston-Salem (N.C.) Mount Tabor safety JaDon Blair
Cleveland (Ohio) Heights defensive lineman Brandon Caesar
Newberry (Fla.) High defensive lineman Jarquez Carter
Chicago Immaculate Conception three-star linebacker/EDGE Dominik Hulak
La Grange Park (Ill.) Nazareth Academy four-star EDGE Gabe Kaminski
Greenwich (Conn.) Brunswick School safety Ethan Long
Elmhurst (Ill.) York Community HS defensive lineman Joseph Reiff
Waukesha (Wis.) Catholic Memorial four-star offensive tackle Owen Strebig
Geneva (Ill.) Community four-star wide receiver Talyn Taylor
Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit four-star running back Justin Thurman
Brunswick School offensive lineman Matty Augustine, Green Bay (Wis.) Notre Dame De La Baie Academy tight end James Flanigan, Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange defensive back Ivan Taylor and Scottsdale (Ariz.) Notre Dame Preparatory wide receiver Cooper Perry told Blue & Gold they are “maybe” attending the event.
2025 four-star linebacker target Marquise Davis, who attends Cleveland Heights with Caesar, is deciding between visiting Michigan and Notre Dame on July 30.
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