Notre Dame CB commit Cree Thomas invited to U.S. Army Bowl
A sixth Notre Dame football commit has received an invitation to play in the U.S. Army Bowl. On Wednesday, three-star cornerback Cree Thomas from Phoenix Brophy College Prep announced the opportunity to play in the third edition of the annual high school All-Star game.
He joins EDGE Dominik Hulak, linebacker Ko’o Kia, safety Ethan Long, defensive lineman Joseph Reiff and running back Justin Thurman as the Fighting Irish pledges who will have the chance to participate in the showcase at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco on Dec. 21. Long and Thomas are the only commits who have not accepted their invitations.
The U.S. Army Bowl differs from the All-American Bowl. That game is on Jan. 11, 2025, at the Alamodome in San Antonio and on NBC. The U.S. Army was the title sponsor of the All-American Bowl from 2001-17. This year is the third edition of the U.S. Army Bowl game, which began in 2021.
Irish quarterback commit Deuce Knight and EDGE pledge Christopher Burgess, both top 100 prospects, have accepted their invitations to play in the All-American Bowl. Notre Dame has no recruits slated to participate in the Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando, Fla.
Last year, current Irish wide receiver Micah Gilbert and linebacker Bodie Kahoun participated in the U.S. Army Bowl.
According to the On3 Industry Ranking, Thomas is the No. 416 overall player, No. 37 cornerback nationally and No. 5 prospect in Arizona in 2025. He verbally committed to the Irish on Nov. 20 over 11 schools, including Wisconsin, Oregon, Boston College and California.
MaxPreps credited Thomas with 43 tackles (34 solo), 5 interceptions and 4 pass breakups during his 13-game junior season.
What Notre Dame recruits are playing in the U.S. Army Bowl
Elmhurst (Ill.) York Community’s Reiff, a four-star, is the highest-ranked participating commit. According to the On3 Industry Ranking, he is the No. 344 overall player, No. 28 defensive lineman nationally and No. 8 prospect in Illinois in 2025.
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Reiff committed to Notre Dame over Iowa, Northwestern and Purdue on Sept. 23. As a junior, he registered 76 tackles (50 solo), 20 for loss, 12 sacks, 17 quarterback hurries, 1 pass breakup, 3 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery.
Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit’s Thurman is also a four-star. The On3 Industry Ranking considers him the No. 377 overall player, No. 28 running back in the nation and No. 51 prospect in Florida.
After pledging to the Irish on Aug. 1, Thurman had 169 carries for 812 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior. He also added 22 catches for 198 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Elmhurst (Ill.) IC Catholic Prep’s Hulak and Honolulu Punahou’s Kia are three-star prospects.
In the On3 Industry Ranking, Hulak is the No. 536 overall player, No. 56 linebacker in the country and No. 15 recruit in Illinois. Kia is the No. 551 overall player, No. 59 linebacker in America and No. 2 prospect in Hawai’i.
Hulak and Kia committed to the Irish on Nov. 10 and Jan. 15, respectively. The 6-4, 240-pound Hulak had 36 tackles, 6 TFLs and 3 sacks as a junior. Kia collected 83 tackles, 16 TFLs and 8 sacks in 2023.
