The Illinois Fighting Illini are 3-0, dominating all three games with 25+ points ahead of their opponents. They are all set for their Week 4 clash against the Indiana Hoosiers this evening, with both teams looking for their fourth straight win. Bret Bielema’s Fighting Illini, despite having a strong roster in this cycle, are working aggressively for the future. Bielema and his staff are actively looking to recruit some of the top talents across the country.

Their 2026 class is almost set and done, with 24 commits and scheduled visits in the upcoming events. Despite the next two seasons, they are in active search until the 2028 class. At this stage, a 4-star target of Illinois made a college football announcement, which might interest Illinois. Jack McNamara, from Brother Rice High School, Chicago, Illinois, is one of the most looked-up-to talents of the 2028 class.

McNamara is a 4-star prospect and has been busy attending numerous football camps across the country. Earlier this year, in June 2025, the 6-foot-5, 235-pound athlete participated in one of Illinois’ football camps and got the offer on the same day. The Tight End prospect, in his recent post on X, revealed that he is blessed to receive an offer from Marcus Freeman‘s Notre Dame.

“Blessed to receive an offer from @NDFootball! @MikeDenbrock @CoachQuedenfeld @BrotherRiceFB @AllenTrieu @adamgorney @SWiltfong_ @EDGYTIM @CoachCano @LemmingReport,” he said. Jack McNamara had visited Notre Dame two weeks before receiving an offer from Illinois.

Notre Dame’s offer might be bad news for the Fighting Illini, but what makes it worse is that it is not the only team in the competition. He now holds a total of 11 offers from top schools across the country, including 4 SEC, 3 Big 10, and 1 independent program. He has a long way ahead to shortlist his preference and schedule visits in the future.

Notre Dame and Illinois’ recruitment war continues

Well, Jack McNamara is not the only prospect from the 2028 class that the Fighting Irish and the Fighting Illini are racing for. Kameron McGee, a top-tier, 5-star sophomore from Illinois, also received offers from both Notre Dame and Illinois. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound star is ranked the No. 2 Edge and No. 8 prospect nationally, and the top prospect in Illinois. He is from the same school as McNamara and has gained wide attention in the recruitment class. He currently holds 24 offers from the elite programs in the country; however, he hasn’t committed or shortlisted his interests yet.

In a most recent game for Brother Rice against the Crusaders, McGee recorded two sacks, restricting their opponents to 21 rushing yards in a 28-6 win. He has also been selected to play in the Polynesian Bowl next year as a junior. It seems like Illinois will be the main focus when it comes to the 2028 recruitment class.

Apart from them, Notre Dame has shown interest in 16 prospects, and Illinois has shown interest in 33 prospects in the ’28 class.