The future of the Notre Dame football program will be well-represented in Frisco, Texas, come December. On Monday and Tuesday, four Fighting Irish 2025 class commits announced they will play in this year’s U.S. Army Bowl.
EDGE Dominik Hulak, linebacker Ko’o Kia, defensive lineman Joseph Reiff and running back Justin Thurman will participate in the high school all-star game at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco on Dec. 21.
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.
Last year, current Irish wide receiver Micah Gilbert and linebacker Bodie Kahoun participated in the U.S. Army Bowl.
In addition to the quartet of Irish 2025 class commits, fellow safety pledge Ethan Long was invited to play in the game. However, he has not yet accepted it.
What Notre Dame recruits are playing in the U.S. Army Bowl
Elmhurst (Ill.) York Community’s Reiff, a four-star the highest-ranked participating commit. According to the On3 Industry Ranking, he is the No. 315 overall player, No. 26 defensive lineman nationally and No. 7 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. 350 overall player, No. 27 running back in the nation and No. 48 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 both three-star prospects.
In the On3 Industry Ranking, Hulak is the No. 485 overall player, No. 50 linebacker in the country and No. 14 recruit in Illinois. Kia is the No. 772 overall player, No. 83 linebacker in America and No. 6 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.
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