O’Rourke had a monster night as Lincoln-Way East continued their perfect season. The junior defensive end had 2.5 sacks and 3 tackles for loss. Standing at 6’5 and weighing 215 lbs, O’Rourke has a unique combination of size, speed, and athleticism that makes him a game-wrecker at the line of scrimmage. He fires off the ball at the snap, using his quick first step and length to defeat blockers in the run game. He quickly transitions once he diagnoses pass, using his bend and polished pass rush moves to hunt down the opposing quarterback. Long story short, O’Rourke has all the tools and will continue to showcase them on the Griffin’s quest for a state title.

The Lincoln-Way East defensive end anchored a unit for the Griffins that put out an impressive display against Lockport. LWE held Lockport to just 103 total yards of offense in their shutout victory, and O’Rourke was a big reason why. Not only did he dominate in the run game against the Porters, but the 6’5, 215 lbs junior posted 2 sacks as well. He is a big and physical end with plus athleticism. O’Rourke already holds multiple Power 5 offers and is sure to see more roll in over the next year.

O’Rourke is a Class of 2025 defensive lineman who burst onto the scene in his sophomore season. The varsity standout is beginning to see the offers roll in, picking up Illinois, Northwestern, and Iowa in the offseason. The 6’5, 215 end is long, athletic, and physical. He has a quick first step and plays with a low pad level that allows him to beat blocks in a variety of ways. He plays tight to the line of scrimmage, meaning he can spill pullers and shed blocks to earn tackles for loss in the run game. He gets strong extension in both the run and pass game, allowing him to throw offensive linemen off of him and purse the running back or quarterback. Plain and simple, O’Rourke is a game wreaker who is going to kick his junior year off with a bang on Saturday.

To the Land of Lincoln, we go! The pass-rushing talent in Illinois’ 2025 class is outrageous, and two late yet outstanding risers from the class have elevated their stock and solidified themselves among the state and Midwest’s elite, one of which we’ll cover here. Beginning with perennial big-school power Lincoln-Way East and their 2025 6’5, 215 lb. DE Caden O’Rourke Caden O’Rourke 6'5" | 215 lbs | DL Lincoln-Way East | 2025 State IL , who possesses a lean, alluring frame, solid production as a sophomore (51 tackles, 10 sacks, 6 TFLs) against high-quality competition, and a wrestling background that no doubt helps in the trenches. His first offer came in May of 2022 when Akron reached out, and things picked back up almost exactly a year later when Bowling Green State, Toledo, Ball State, Illinois State, Kent State, and eventually Iowa and Louisville joined in on his offer list. A month after that is where things elevated, as the home state B1G institutions of Northwestern and Illinois offered up and officially got involved. Now heading into his upperclassman campaign with the Griffins as a certified high-end talent, O’Rourke will be looking to build on his already promising skillset that includes length, strength, and physicality when attacking and shedding blocks for his size, and a solid get-off, and a little bit of twitch and bend. I also like how he can get skinny through gaps, works into passing lanes naturally, and shows some COD ability when running down a QB, as well as the skills to tackle in space. If O’Rourke hit the weight room hard this offseason he’s going to have a monster junior season. PRzIL is pumped to watch it unfold.