If you had any questions about how important Kaydon Finley is to the Notre Dame 2026 recruiting class, you know now
Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame was dealt a difficult blow over the weekend when 2026 Waxahachie (Texas) High School wide receiver Kohen Brown committed to the Texas Longhorns. Brown was once committed to USC, but reopened his recruitment a few weeks ago. The Fighting Irish were a program that looked like a […]
Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame was dealt a difficult blow over the weekend when 2026 Waxahachie (Texas) High School wide receiver Kohen Brown committed to the Texas Longhorns. Brown was once committed to USC, but reopened his recruitment a few weeks ago. The Fighting Irish were a program that looked like a potential team to beat for him.
Brown was scheduled to take his official visit to South Bend later this month, but unfortunately, it never got that far. He is a Texas native, and the Longhorns knocked his recent visit out of the park. Not even his relationship with Notre Dame running back committed Javian Osborne could stop Texas.
Now that Brown is out of the equation, the wide receiver board for the 2026 class gets a bit thinner, especially in terms of the premier targets who are realistic targets. The Irish are still recruiting the likes of Brayden Robinson and Devin Fitzgerald, but they are a little further down the board right now.
Closer to the top of the list is Aledo (Texas) High School star pass catcher Kaydon Finley and Rosharon (Texas) Iowa Colony speedster Jayden Warren. While Warren has a lot of upside, and brings elite speed to the table, there is a substantial difference between him and Finley right now.
Finley is, without question, one of the higher floor pass catchers in the entire 2026 class. He is the combination of ceiling and floor that Notre Dame means more of, and desperately in this class. There isn’t another pass catcher on the board that brings that profile. Warren and Robinson would both be takes for me, and clear ones, but your class needs someone like Finley to complete it.
If Mike Brown is able to reel in Finley and one other wideout to combine with Bubba Frazier and Dylan Faison, he would answer some major recruiting questions that currently exist. Without Finley, those will continue. The term “must get” does get a little overplayed at times, but Finley is as close as you will find.
As of today, I would not predict Notre Dame to land Finley. If there was any time for me to be wrong, it would be now.
As a junior in 2024, Finley put together a fantastic season. In 14 games, Finley managed to haul in 81 receptions for 1,432 yards and 21 touchdowns. That’s an average of 17.7 yards per catch, showcasing the big play ability that Finley brings to the table on top of his well-rounded game. Finley had nine games where he went for over 100 yards this past season, showcasing consistency.
From a recruiting rankings perspective, Finley is considered to be a four-star player by every major recruiting platform. He is currently rated as the No. 111 overall player and No. 15 wide receiver in the 2026 recruiting class according to the 247Sports Composite ranking. That ranking also has Finley pegged as the No. 16 overall player in the talent-rich state of Texas.
Notre Dame is battling against some of the top programs in the country for Finley currently. Some of his biggest offers include the Fighting Irish, Texas, Georgia, Oregon, Miami, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Penn State, and Auburn among many, many others.
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