Kam McGee, recently named the top junior prospect in the country, leads No. 2 Brother Rice’s title defense

It didn’t require the trained eye of a football coach or a prospect analyst to appreciate Kameron McGee’s absolute defensive dominance last season.

The Brother Rice edge rusher led his team to the Class 7A state title as just a sophomore, finishing with 54 tackles, 21 TFLs and 10.5 sacks. McGee was a force in the championship game shutout of rival St. Rita with six tackles, four TFLs and two sacks.

McGee (6-4, 240 pounds) still has two years of high school football to play and is already one of the most impactful defensive players in state history.

Over the summer, 247Sports.com named McGee the No. 1 prospect in the country in the junior class. He’s only a top-25 prospect according to the overall consensus, but already has scholarship offers from 44 colleges, including Notre Dame, Alabama, Georgia and most of the Big Ten.

“Whenever anyone asked a question about Kam last year, I said he was the best player in the country,” Brother Rice coach Casey Quedenfeld said. “That hasn’t changed. He does a tremendous job. He’s a really good teammate and has taken an active role in leading guys now. When you are a sophomore, you are kind of figuring things out.”

The Crusaders’ starting defense allowed just 5.7 points per game last season, but Notre Dame recruit Brayden Parks (6-3, 305) is the only other starter returning.

“There are a bunch of young guys that are going to have to step up,” McGee said. “But we are really good where we are. [Parks] and I are leading the troops.”

Brother Rice opens the season at No. 2 in the preseason Super 25, which may be high for a team with so few returning starters. Receiver Lucas Strang and lineman Ethan Posey (6-4, 290) are the only full-time starters back on the offense.

But there is breakout, Power Four talent all over the field. Safety Jonathan Harris has committed to Iowa. Running back Jameson Davis is an Army recruit. Tight end Jack McNamara has offers from Notre Dame, Ohio State and more. Sophomore offensive lineman CJ Anderson (6-7, 320) is a blossoming prospect.

The Crusaders’ offensive line is the largest in school history. Quedenfeld is still figuring out the right starting mix, but there are multiple options, including three transfers from DePaul Prep: brothers Carlos and Lucas Rios and Daniel DeSouza.

The plan heading into the season is to start two quarterbacks: senior Rocco Galasso and freshman Sam Holcomb, who already holds an offer from Michigan.

“We’ve seen great things from both quarterbacks,” Davis said. “Rocco has been with me since I was a freshman, so I have known what he can do. Sam is just a great all-around talent. He’s a smart kid. When we are in the film room, he is breaking things down as quickly as I am. He has notes on the first game already, every player. It is fun to see him take on something as such a young player. Not many kids can do that as a freshman.”

Quedenfeld won a state title in his fifth year at Brother Rice. It was a titanic accomplishment for a school which historically played third fiddle to Mount Carmel and St. Rita in their own backyard. And Marist had been surging for years as well.

“When I came here, they told me Brother Rice was a powerhouse,” Quedenfeld said. “I looked at the record books, and Brother Rice was not a powerhouse. And that is ok. Now we are headed towards where we want to go. We can’t worry about what everyone else says about us. We happened to have a really good team last year, and we hope we are on the way this year. But it’s a work in progress.”