‘28 5-star edge darreion prescott has notre dame in top 8
Illinois has been producing it’s fair share national-level defensive line prospects lately, and Darieon Prescott of Bolingbrook (Ill.) Bolingbrook is another one of those impressive recruits that the Irish staff has focused on. The 2028 edge rusher has built one of the most impressive recruitments in the country over the past year, and this week he took the next major step by trimming his list down to a top eight — with Notre Dame firmly in the mix after a string of standout visits to South Bend.
The 6-foot-5, 220 pounder tallied 65 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 8 pass breakups, 26 quarterback pressures, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, and 2 blocked kicks for the Bolingbrook Raiders. That kind of all-around production — stopping the run, rushing the passer, and even affecting special teams — is a big reason he was named to the MaxPreps Freshman All-America team as a first-year player and has continued to climb recruiting boards ever since.
Notre Dame Visits
Notre Dame’s recruitment of Prescott picked up serious steam this spring. He was originally slated to spend a weekend visiting Texas A&M and Nebraska before swinging back through South Bend later in April, but he shifted those plans to get back to Notre Dame earlier than scheduled. He told Irish Breakdown he wanted to see the Irish practice again, soak in the program’s culture, and reconnect with the staff — a sign of just how much South Bend had already grabbed his attention.
That trip included extended one-on-one time with head coach Marcus Freeman, who left a lasting impression on Prescott both as a coach and as a person, as well as a personal sit-down with first-year defensive line coach Charlie Partridge. Prescott said watching Partridge coach the edge group in practice — and then talking through technique and expectations with him afterward — was one of the most important parts of the visit. He left calling Notre Dame “a great place”, while noting he was already planning to return to campus for the Blue-Gold spring game and potentially again over the summer.
Prescott followed through on that plan. He was back on campus in South Bend two weeks ago, just ahead of Notre Dame’s final official visit weekend of the month, giving the staff one more extended look with him and his family ahead of the start of Bolingbrook’s summer prep for the season. Combined with his earlier trips, it marked at least his third documented visit to campus in a matter of months — a pace few other schools on his list have matched, and one that helped push the Irish into his final eight less than two weeks later.
“I always enjoy my time at Notre Dame,” Prescott said. “They always make me feel like a priority and show and we’ve been talking about getting back there over the summer, and my schedule allowed it to happen.
“I got a chance to build relationships,” Prescott continued. “I spent time with the coaches and the conversation with Coach P (Charlie Partridge) was really good. We talked about more than football, and I got to hear more about his plans for me in the scheme.”
The Top 8
Those visits have paid off for the Fighting Irish as Prescott announced his top eight schools on social media, and Notre Dame made the cut alongside a loaded group of blue bloods:
Notre Dame, Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Oregon, Texas, Texas A&M and Miami
For a staff working to keep one of the state’s best players close to home, being included in that final group is a significant win — especially with the DL coaching relationship Prescott has already built with Partridge and Freeman.
“All of the schools are great programs,” Prescott shared. “Notre Dame was always a high contender in my top schools early on and that hasn’t changed. I have great respect for Coach Freeman and Coach P, and our talks let me know that they know what it takes to make it. The people there are always amazing and I can see myself playing football and going to school there.”
What’s Next
Prescott is still just entering his junior year, which means there’s plenty of recruitment left to play out — including a likely return trip to Notre Dame in the fall for a game day visit. Notre Dame has a leg up in this now 8-team race to the finish and the staff led by Charlie Partridge seem committed to going above and beyond to show Prescott how they feel about his fit with the Fighting Irish.
Where He Ranks:
Prescott’s ranking varies slightly by service, but he’s a consensus five-star-caliber talent across the industry:
247Sports
Composite: No. 18 nationally, No. 5 among edge rushers, No. 1 in Illinois (.9930 rating)
247Sports individual rankings: No. 7 nationally, No. 3 among edges, No. 2 in Illinois
ESPN
85 grade, No. 34 nationally, No. 7 among edge defenders, No. 2 in Illinois
On3 / Rivals
On3 Industry ranking: 94.80 rating, No. 18 overall, No. 5 at his position, No. 1 in the state
Rivals: 93 rating, No. 24 overall, No. 5 among edges, No. 2 in Illinois
Whichever service you look at, the theme is the same — Prescott is regarded as a top-25 national prospect and one of the two or three best pure edge rushers in the 2028 class, with a legitimate case as the top overall recruit in Illinois.
