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

Believe it or not, but the regular season is starting to wind down in some states, such as Indiana. For example, Drayk Bowen‘s Merrillville (Ind.) Andrean team only has two regular season contests left before the playoffs begin.

This Friday is another busy week for Notre Dame’s commits in the 2023 and 2024 classes, and below is a look at who is playing and where, a preview of this week’s top matchup and more.

GAME OF THE WEEK

Kansas.com lists Derby (Kan.) High (4-1) as the No. 2 team in 6A, the largest classification in the state. This is the school Notre Dame running back commit Dylan Edwards calls home, and his squad is taking on Maize (Kan.) High (5-0), which is home to Kansas State quarterback pledge Avery Johnson and is the No. 2 team in 5A. It should be a high-scoring affair, and yes, folks, they play football in Kansas!

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TOP PERFORMER FROM LAST WEEK

There were several good choices, including Edwards who scored five times and Saline (Mich.) High quarterback CJ Carr who tossed five touchdown passes. But I’m going with Folsom (Calif.) High pass catcher Rico Flores Jr., who has been outstanding to start the season. He caught five passes for 153 yards and three touchdowns against a previously unbeaten team, and on the season through six games, he’s hauled in 35 passes for 633 yards and five scores.

WHERE WILL MIKE SINGER BE?

I’m flying up to Detroit to watch Carr’s undefeated Saline team host Temperance (Mich.) Bedford (4-2) on Friday evening. It’ll be my first time seeing Carr in game action, and I’m very excited. Carr started the season a bit slow but has been on a tear lately, tossing nine touchdowns and zero interceptions in his last two contests, completing 31 of 37 attempts and helping his team score over 100 points. The opposition should be tougher on Friday, which will make for an exciting game.

FULL NOTRE DAME COMMIT SCHEDULE

OL Sullivan Absher—Belmont (N.C.) South Point (6-0) at Kings Mountain (N.C.) High (6-0) Oct. 7.

LB Jaiden Ausberry—Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab (3-2) at Tylertown (Miss.) High (3-3) Oct. 6.

CB Micah Bell—Houston The Kinkaid School (3-3) at Dallas St. Mark’s (3-3) Oct. 7.

LB Drayk Bowen—Merrillville (Ind.) Andrean (5-2) at Wheatfield (Ind.) Kankakee Valley (4-3) Oct. 7.

S Peyton Bowen—Denton (Texas) Guyer (6-0) at Little Elm (Texas) Braswell (2-4) Oct. 14.

RB Dylan Edwards—Derby (Kan.) High (4-1) vs. Maize (Kan.) High (5-0) Oct. 7.

TE Cooper Flanagan—Concord (Calif.) De La Salle (3-2) at Stockton (Calif.) St. Mary’s (6-0) Oct. 7.

WR Rico Flores Jr.—Folsom (Calif.) High (5-1) at Rocklin (Calif.) Whitney (3-3) Oct. 7.

CB Christian Gray—St. Louis De Smet (3-3) at St. Louis St. Mary’s (5-1) Oct. 7.

WR Jaden Greathouse—Austin (Texas) Westlake (5-0) vs. Austin (Texas) Anderson (3-3) Oct. 7.

DL Devan Houstan—Hagerstown (Md.) St. James School (3-2) vs. Oakton (D.C.) Flint Hill (2-2) Oct. 8.

OL Charles Jagusah—Rock Island (Ill.) Alleman (1-5) at East Moline (Ill.) United (0-6) Oct. 7.

WR Braylon James—Round Rock (Texas) Stony Point (3-2) at Round Rock (Texas) Cedar Ridge (2-3) Oct. 7.

RB Jayden Limar—Lake Stevens (Wash.) High (3-2) vs. Sammamish (Wash.) Eastlake (4-1) Oct. 7.

S Ben Minich—Cincinnati Lakota West (7-0) at Fairfield (Ohio) High (6-1) Oct. 7.

DL Armel Mukam—Woodberry Forest (Va.) High (3-1) at Richmond (Va.) Collegiate (3-2) Oct. 7.

OL Sam Pendleton—Pfafftown (N.C.) Reagan (4-2) vs. Clemmons (N.C.) West Forsyth (2-4) Oct. 7.

OL Joe Otting—Topeka (Kan.) Hayden (5-0) vs. Hoyt (Kan.) Royal Valley (1-4) Oct. 7.

S Adon Shuler—Irvington (N.J.) High (4-2) vs. Montclair (N.J.) High (2-3) Oct. 8.

DL Boubacar Traore (injured)—West Roxbury (Mass.) Catholic Memorial (3-0) at Shrewsbury (Mass.) St. John’s (1-3) Oct. 7.

DL Brenan Vernon—Mentor (Ohio) High (3-3) vs. Solon (Ohio) High (5-2) Oct. 7.

LB Preston Zinter—Lawrence (Mass.) Central Catholic (2-2) at Lowell (Mass.) High (0-4) Oct. 7.

2024 Notre Dame commits

QB CJ Carr—Saline (Mich.) High (6-0) vs. Temperance (Mich.) Bedford (4-2) Oct. 7.

DL Brandon Davis-Swain—West Bloomfield (Mich.) High (5-1) vs. Oxford (Mich.) High (1-5) Oct. 7.

OL Peter Jones—Malvern (Pa.) Prep (4-0) at Wilmington (Del.) Delaware Military Academy (4-2) Oct. 7.

TE Jack Larsen—Charlotte (N.C.) Catholic (5-1) vs. Charlotte (N.C.) Garinger (0-7) Oct. 7.

DL Owen Wafle—Princeton (N.J.) Hun School (4-0) at Blairstown (N.J.) Blair Academy (1-3) Oct. 8.

WR Cam Williams—Glen Ellyn (Ill.) Glenbard South (5-1) at West Chicago (Ill.) High (1-5) Oct. 7.