High School:
- Committed to Northwestern on January 29, 2024.
- Recorded 13 sacks and 10 TFls as a senior in 2024 and was voted to the Class 8A All-State First Team by the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association (IHSFCA).
- Team captain at Lincoln Way East. Helped lead the Griffins to Class 8A state title game in 2022 and 2023, as well as an undefeated regular season campaign in 2024.
- Selected to the News-Gazette’s 2024 First Team All-State.
- Older brother, Devin, played defensive line for the Wildcats from 2018-22.
- High school coach at Lincoln Way East was Rob Zvonar.
- Chose Northwestern over Iowa, Illinois, Michigan State
Christian Smith (DL Coach) on O’Rourke: “We are very excited to welcome Caden home as he officially joins the Wildcats family. It was very clear through his recruitment that this place is very meaningful to Caden and his family. On top of all that, Caden is a great defensive end with tremendous upside. His explosiveness, athleticism and length are everything you want in a Defensive End in the Big Ten.”