Brock Thompson isn't certain what the next step in his recruitment with Notre Dame will be, but the 2028 Illinois offensive lineman knows he'd like to keep the relationship moving forward.
After attending his first Irish game Saturday, the Loyola Academy standout has plenty of reasons to return.
The 6-foot-4, 280-pounder had previously visited Notre Dame for spring practice and summer camp, but his trip for the Stanford game offered a different perspective on the program.
"It went awesome," Thompson told Irish Sports Daily. "I loved it out there. It was a great experience. I've never been to a Notre Dame game. I've always had friends, people tell me about it. So I'm glad I was able to experience it, especially with the recruiting stuff."
Thompson currently holds offers from Arizona State, California, Colorado and Sacramento State, among others, as he continues to develop his relationship with Notre Dame.
Thompson also had an opportunity to see the program's new facilities, which exceeded his expectations.
"It looked better than the pictures did, which was crazy," he said. "You don't see that a lot, but it was awesome."
The visit allowed Thompson to reconnect with other prospects he knows through training while meeting additional recruits and spending time with the Notre Dame coaching staff.
He spoke with Irish offensive line coach Joe Rudolph and other recruiting staffers.
"Talking about just catching up since we haven't had face-to-face since the summer," Thompson said. "Just how are things going? How's the season been? Kind of just building that relationship with them, having good conversations."
Thompson appreciates the personalities of the coaches he's gotten to know throughout the recruiting process.
"I think they're awesome people," he said. "Really honest and humble guys. You don't see that a lot. Really down to earth."
Thompson has found common ground with Irish staffer Jameson Munsley-Johnson because of their connections to the same area.
"Jameson is from around the area I'm from, so we kind of connected on that," he said.
Notre Dame's continued interest followed Thompson's performance at camp and the staff's evaluation of his film.
"They saw my tape," he said. "I think they invited me because they loved me at camp. I think it was just trying to keep the relationship alive."
Thompson has made an effort to maintain communication with the staff between visits.
"I've been trying to do it, consistently trying to text them, be in communication with them, just keep things going," he said.
Although Thompson hasn't received a Notre Dame offer, he's interested in continuing the process and seeing where the relationship leads.
"I don't know, if I'm being honest," he said when asked about the next step with the Irish. "I don't really know. I love it out there. I mean, if it's going back to another game talking, I love it out there. I’d love to keep things going."
Thompson has also visited Kentucky for a game this season and is considering additional trips to Miami (Ohio), Oregon State, Arizona State and Iowa State.
For now, he's focused on maintaining the relationships he's established, including the one with Notre Dame that Saturday's experience helped strengthen.
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