Blue & Gold on the road: Chicago Brother Rice vs. Mount Carmel will feature key Notre Dame recruits

CHICAGO — No other high school football game nationally will feature more Notre Dame football recruits than the one taking place Friday night on the South Side of Chicago.

Brother Rice (5-0), the No. 3 team in Illinois, takes on No. 2 Mount Carmel (5-0) in a Chicago Catholic League clash at the corner of S. Blackstone Avenue and E. 65th Street. Both programs are among the nation’s best, ranking inside the top 80 teams nationally. Their rosters also feature a combined eight prospects with scholarship offers from the Fighting Irish.

Blue & Gold recruiting insider Mike Singer and recruiting reporter Kyle Kelly will be at Mount Carmel to cover this Week 6 showdown. Here’s what they’ll be watching.

Six uncommitted underclassmen already have Notre Dame’s attention

Eight recruits in Friday night’s game hold a Notre Dame offer, but two of them — 2026 four-star offensive tackle Claude Mpouma and four-star defensive lineman Braeden Jones — are verbally committed to Nebraska and Southern Cal, respectively.

With the Irish already set in the 2026 cycle, they’ve turned their attention to six underclassmen prospects:

Brother Rice

• Four-star DL Brayden Parks (No. 204 overall player, No. 23 DL nationally, No. 10 Ill. in 2027)
• Four-star EDGE Kameron McGee (No. 10 overall, No. 2 EDGE, No. 1 Ill. in 2028)
• Four-star TE Jack McNamara (No. 93 overall, No. 4 TE, No. 4 Ill. in 2028)

Mount Carmel

• Four-star WR Quentin Burrell (No. 63 overall, No. 12 WR, No. 3 Ill. in 2027)
• Four-star S Tavares Harrington (No. 114 overall, No. 10 S, No. 6 Ill. in 2027)
• Four-star DL Caleb “Bonecrusher” Tucker (No. 41 overall, No. 6 DL, No. 3 Ill. in 2028)

Notre Dame is considered a top contender for all six and possibly the team to beat for Parks, McNamara, Burrell and Harrington, all of whom have already visited South Bend this season.

Two Mount Carmel players on offer watch

Friday’s game could eventually feature 10 players with a Notre Dame offer.

On Saturday, the Irish will host Mount Carmel 2027 four-star linebacker Roman Igewbuike and 2028 four-star wide receiver Marshaun Thornton for their first visits to South Bend. They very well could leave campus with a scholarship offer from Notre Dame.

The 6-3, 220-pound Igewbuike is the top linebacker in the Midwest for 2027. He ranks as the No. 121 overall prospect, No. 6 linebacker nationally and No. 7 player in Illinois, holding more than 40 offers. Ohio State, Georgia and Miami are among the early contenders.

Despite being just a sophomore, the 6-foot, 180-pound Thornton has nearly 20 offers. He ranks as the No. 132 overall player, No. 26 wide receiver nationally and No. 5 prospect in Illinois. He’s also the No. 3 wideout in the Midwest.

Typically, Notre Dame waits until its St. Patrick’s Day-themed Pot of Gold Day to offer sophomores, but Thornton could be one of the rare recruits who earns his offer beforehand.

How to watch Brother Rice vs. Mount Carmel

Marquee Sports Network will stream Friday night’s game. Fans can also follow Blue & Gold’s live coverage on the Lou Somogyi Board.

The On3 | Rivals Massey Ratings predict a 35-21 Mount Carmel win. Still, Brother Rice had a 16-13 home win over the Caravan last year, so don’t count out McGee, McNamara and Parks from leading another victory.