Notre Dame football set to host top-100 defender for a return visit, and he could bring dynamic versatility
Notre Dame football received a tremendous early commitment from 2026 Matthews (N.C.) Weddington linebacker Thomas Davis Jr. back in November. The son of a former Pro Bowler for the Carolina Panthers, Davis definitely received his physicality and instincts from his dad. Davis Jr. can become a cornerstone for the Irish recruiting class. The Irish staff […]
Notre Dame football received a tremendous early commitment from 2026 Matthews (N.C.) Weddington linebacker Thomas Davis Jr. back in November. The son of a former Pro Bowler for the Carolina Panthers, Davis definitely received his physicality and instincts from his dad. Davis Jr. can become a cornerstone for the Irish recruiting class.
The Irish staff is also pursuing Jacksonville (Fla.) The Bolles School linebacker Simeon Caldwell, who is one of the most versatile defensive players in the 2026 class. Caldwell will be heading to South Bend on January 25th, and this will be Caldwell’s third time on campus, and his fourth time seeing the Notre Dame program in person. He saw them most recently during their battle against the Army Black Knights in Yankee Stadium earlier this season.
Caldwell is considered a top 100 recruit on multiple recruiting platforms. On the 247Sports Composite ranking, Caldwell currently ranks as the No. 78 overall prospect and No. 6 linebacker in the 2026 recruiting class. He is also considered the No. 14 player in Florida, which is a state that Notre Dame continues to have more and more success in over the last couple of seasons.
Considering that Caldwell is an elite defender, it shouldn’t be any surprise that he has a long list of suitors with high interest. Some of Caldwell’s top offers include the Fighting Irish, Georgia, Ohio State, Texas, Michigan, Miami, Florida, Tennessee, Florida State, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M among others.
If you watch how the Bolles School utilizes Caldwell, they use him all over the place defensively. You will see him at safety, and linebacker, and he makes a ton of plays on both the second and third level. In 11 games, Caldwell recorded 80 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and three sacks. Caldwell has also broken up two passes, and blocked three kicks.
