Legacy three-star DE Caden O'Rourke commits to Northwestern

Northwestern has their second commitment in two days after Caden O'Rourke posted his decision on Monday after visiting the Wildcats for their Elite Junior Day on Jan. 27.

O'Rourke, a lengthy 6-foot-5, 215-pound edge rusher from state power Frankfort (Ill.) Lincoln-Way East, announced his decision on X.

The O’Rourke name should sound familiar to Northwestern fans. His older brother, Devin, played defensive line at Northwestern from 2018-22, starting at defensive tackle in 2022.

O’Rourke was very familiar with the Northwestern program and visited several times because of his brother over the years. However, Devin played for fired former coach Pat Fitzgerald, so head coach David Braun and his coaching staff still had to win him over in the recruiting process.

The weekend visit with several other top prospects is what sealed the deal.

O’Rourke is a coup for Braun and the Wildcats. He chose Northwestern over Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan State, Nebraska, Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa and Louisville from Power Four conferences. Northwestern offered him back in June, when Fitzgerald was still head coach and Braun was the defensive coordinator.

O'Rourke is the second player to commit to Northwestern's Class of 2025, joining safety Jonathan Stevens Jr., who announced his commitment on Sunday. The two early commitments mark the first time since the Class of 2020 that Northwestern brought in two players who committed in January or earlier.

O'Rourke and Lincoln-Way finished their second straight campaign 13-1 in 2023, losing to Loyola Academy in the Class 8A state final.