What to watch for: Game of the week, schedule for Notre Dame commits

Before Notre Dame faces North Carolina in a pivotal road matchup, the Fighting Irish commits in the 2023 and 2024 classes will hit the field for their respective high school teams. Below is a look at who is playing and where, a preview of this week’s top matchup and more.

GAME OF THE WEEK

This one is easy. There will be a battle of Notre Dame commits in Northern California on Friday night.

Tight end Cooper Flanagan and his Concord (Calif.) De La Salle (3-1) squad host Folsom (Calif.) High (3-1), home of wide receiver Rico Flores Jr.

Both pass catchers have started off the season hot, as Flanagan has recorded 10 receptions for 159 yards and 1 touchdown in a run-first offense while also wreaking havoc off the edge defensively. Flores has hauled in 24 passes for 438 yards and two scores.

It should be a fun contest.

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TOP PERFORMER FROM LAST WEEK

Derby (Kan.) High’s (2-1) Dylan Edwards was fantastic as a running back and kick returner in a 45-38 victory against Wichita (Kan.) Bishop Carroll (2-1). Edwards ran the rock 19 times for 185 yards and 4 scores, plus tallied a kickoff return touchdown.

On the season, Edwards has totaled 44 carries for 482 yards and 7 touchdowns plus the kickoff return score.

For highlights of Edwards’ game last Friday and more Notre Dame recruiting information, watch the video below.

WHERE WILL MIKE SINGER BE?

I’ll be in the Atlanta area, getting a look at Lilburn (Ga.) Parkview’s Mike Matthews, the No. 8 overall player and No. 1 “athlete” nationally per the 2024 On3 Consensus. He’s a huge Notre Dame target in the next cycle, and the Irish are a major contender for him early on, although the Irish will have to beat out the SEC powers for him.

Matthews’ team will be battling against Hoschton (Ga.) Mill Creek, home of former Irish target and five-star safety Caleb Downs, an Alabama commit. Both teams come into the game undefeated, and arguably the top game in the state this week.

FULL NOTRE DAME COMMIT SCHEDULE

OL Sullivan Absher—Belmont (N.C.) South Point (4-0) at Gastonia (N.C.) Huss (1-3) Sept. 23.

LB Jaiden Ausberry—Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab (1-2) vs. Baton Rouge (La.) Mentorship Academy (0-3) Sept. 23.

CB Micah Bell—Houston The Kinkaid School (2-2) vs. Houston Second Baptist (1-3) Sept. 23.

LB Drayk Bowen—Merrillville (Ind.) Andrean (3-2) vs. Hobart (Ind.) High (3-2) Sept. 23.

S Peyton Bowen—Denton (Texas) Guyer (4-0) vs. Little Elm (Texas) High (1-3) Sept. 23.

RB Dylan Edwards—Derby (Kan.) High (2-1) at Hutchinson (Kan.) High (3-0) Sept. 23.

TE Cooper Flanagan—Concord (Calif.) De La Salle (3-1) vs. Folsom (Calif.) High (3-1) Sept. 23.

WR Rico Flores Jr.—Folsom (Calif.) High (3-1) at Concord (Calif.) De La Salle (3-1) Sept. 23.

CB Christian Gray—St. Louis De Smet (2-2) vs. St. Louis Christian Brothers (3-1) Sept. 23.

WR Jaden Greathouse—Austin (Texas) Westlake (3-0) at Austin (Texas) Lake Travis (2-2) Sept. 23.

DL Devan Houstan—Hagerstown (Md.) St. James School (2-1) at Chantilly (Va.) St. Paul VI (2-1) Sept. 23.

OL Charles Jagusah—Rock Island (Ill.) Alleman (1-3) at Moline (Ill.) High (3-1) Sept. 23.

WR Braylon James—Round Rock (Texas) Stony Point (3-1) vs. Round Rock (Texas) High (4-0) Sept. 30.

RB Jayden Limar—Lake Stevens (Wash.) High (2-1) at West Linn (Wash.) High (2-1) Sept. 23.

S Ben Minich—Cincinnati Lakota West (5-0) vs. Hamilton (Ohio) High (3-3) Sept. 23.

DL Armel Mukam—Woodberry Forest (Va.) High (2-1) at Bethesda (Md.) Landon (2-1) Sept. 23.

OL Elijah Paige—Phoenix Pinnacle (2-1) vs. Scottsdale (Ariz.) Horizon (1-1) Sept. 30.

OL Sam Pendleton—Pfafftown (N.C.) Reagan (2-2) at Kernersville (N.C.) Glenn (2-2) Sept. 23.

OL Joe Otting—Topeka (Kan.) Hayden (3-0) vs. Meriden (Kan.) Jefferson West (0-3) Sept. 23.

S Adon Shuler—Irvington (N.J.) High (4-0) at West Orange (N.J.) Seton Hall Prep (2-1) Sept. 24.

DL Boubacar Traore—West Roxbury (Mass.) Catholic Memorial (1-0) at Northborough (Mass.) Algonquin Regional (1-1) Sept. 23.

DL Brenan Vernon—Mentor (Ohio) High (2-2) at Brunswick (Ohio) High (2-3) Sept. 23.

LB Preston Zinter—Lawrence (Mass.) Central Catholic (1-1) at Shrewsbury (Mass.) St. John’s (0-2) Sept. 24.

2024 Notre Dame commits

QB CJ Carr—Saline (Mich.) High (4-0) at Ann Arbor (Mich.) Pioneer (2-1) Sept. 30.

DL Brandon Davis-Swain—West Bloomfield (Mich.) High (4-0) at Rochester (Mich.) Adams (3-1) Sept. 23.

OL Peter Jones—Malvern (Pa.) Prep (2-0) vs. Philadelphia Roman Catholic (4-0) Sept. 23.

TE Jack Larsen—Charlotte (N.C.) Catholic (3-1) at Charlotte (N.C.) Independence (4-0) Sept. 23.

DL Owen Wafle—Princeton (N.J.) Hun School (3-0) at Salisbury (Ct.) High (1-0) Sept. 24.

WR Cam Williams—Glen Ellyn (Ill.) Glenbard South (4-0) at Bartlett (Ill.) High (3-1) Sept. 23.