Notre Dame football received a massive 2028 recruiting commitment on Monday from five-star Bolingbrook (Ill.) High School defensive end Darieon Prescott.

The Fighting Irish and head coach Marcus Freeman took a major step toward dominating their backyard with the addition, and the ripple effects could reshape how the rest of this recruiting cycle plays out in the state of Illinois.

It is not always necessary for Notre Dame to lock down Chicago and the state of Illinois in every class. When there is a great cycle loaded with top-end talent, though, Freeman and the Fighting Irish need to capitalize. Defensive line coach Charlie Partridge certainly did that early with Prescott. Given his five-star status and reputation, Prescott could serve as a key to unlocking Notre Dame’s ability to land a ton of talent in the area for 2028.

Here are the top names to know from the state of Illinois outside of Prescott that Notre Dame needs to keep home in South Bend.

EDGE Kameron McGee – Chicago (Ill.) Brother Rice

The 6-4, 240-pound pass rusher is rated as the No. 3 overall player and the No. 1 edge in the 2028 recruiting class according to 247Sports. Notre Dame is believed to be in the top group early on for McGee, but there will be a lot of pushing and pulling from programs trying to get him out of the area. The Fighting Irish are fighting the good fight, but they will need to be ready for a war to keep McGee at home and potentially pair him with Prescott on the defensive line.

ATH Grant Bowen – Elmhurst (Ill.) Immaculate Conception

Perhaps my favorite target on the board for Notre Dame right now. Some colleges view Bowen as a linebacker while others see him as a defensive end. Notre Dame is recruiting him as a tight end.

The 6-4, 220-pound athlete is a dynamic football player whose father, Matt Bowen, played for the Iowa Hawkeyes and spent several years in the NFL in the early 2000s. Iowa and some of the other big powers in college football are going to try to pull Bowen away from the Fighting Irish, but Notre Dame is doing a good job early on. They would need to continue pushing for him, especially given the huge need at tight end in the 2028 class.

OT Wyatt VonBoening – Mundelein (Ill.) Carmel Catholic

The 6-7, 280-pound offensive lineman camped at Notre Dame this offseason and impressed offensive line coach Joe Rudolph in a big way. The Fighting Irish are expected to push hard for VonBoening going forward. He is a talented prospect who put himself firmly on the radar after that camp performance.

OT Kajus Muralis – Aurora (Ill.) Waubonsie Valley

Muralis is an underrated recruit right now, not yet ranked on the 247Sports Composite ranking, but the 6-6.5, 255-pound offensive tackle is a player Notre Dame seems to be extremely high on. The Irish could be well ahead of the curve on how talented he is, and from everything I have gathered, the staff has already identified Morales as a priority target early in the process.

Other Illinois names to watch

Notre Dame has an offer out to offensive tackle Joseph Frierdich from Carbondale (Ill.) High School. The staff is also very high on Belleville (Ill.) Althoff Catholic cornerback Logan Thompson, who is rated inside the top 50 on the 247Sports ranking.

Additionally, the Fighting Irish have offers out to Carmel Catholic linebacker Jameer Miles, a long and athletic second-level defender, as well as tight end Jack McNamara out of Brother Rice in Chicago. The 6-5, 235-pound tight end is extremely high on the Fighting Irish right now, and Notre Dame reciprocates that interest.

Keep a close eye on Chicago (Ill.) Mount Carmel wide receiver Marshaun Thornton as a continued riser in this class. Notre Dame has also continued to recruit his teammate, defensive tackle Caleb Tucker, who is aptly nicknamed the Bone Crusher. The 6-3, 355-pound defensive tackle would be a welcome addition for Notre Dame fans, although I do have my questions about whether he is a player that the staff will push for in the end.

One thing is very clear: the Prescott commitment was a massive domino for Freeman and Partridge in the state of Illinois. If the Fighting Irish can ride that momentum and lock down even a handful of these targets, the 2028 class has the potential to be a special one built on homegrown talent.