Notre Dame football misses out on an elite defender following a frustrating end to the recruiting process
Notre Dame football officially misses out on a priority 5-star recruit. Where do the Fighting Irish go from here now?
It wasn’t too long ago that elite 2027 Tampa Bay (Fla.) Jesuit linebacker Kaden Henderson felt like he was going to end up with Notre Dame football, and for very good reason. Before you know it, everything changed, just like it can do at times in the wonderful world of high school recruiting. Mike Elko and Texas A&M began to surge a few days ago, heading toward the finish line.
On Thursday, the five-star linebacker made his college decision, and he opted for the Aggies. Henderson selected Texas A&M over Notre Dame, LSU, and many others. For those who have been keeping a close eye on this recruitment this week, it isn’t much of a surprise. That doesn’t make it any less frustrating, however.
For anyone who will try to say that Notre Dame never cut the gap on the Aggies, they’re wrong. The Irish staff did a tremendous job in this recruitment, and they were in pole position coming out of last weekend. To Texas A&M’s credit, they were able to flip the script the last couple of days, even if it wasn’t the most morally sound process of all time.
Now that Henderson is off the board, expect Notre Dame to focus on getting to the finish line with four-star Chicago (Ill.) Mount Carmel linebacker Roman Igwebuike. Brian Jean-Mary, Freeman and Co. are in a great spot with Igwebuike, but now they need to fully close the deal. From there, keep a close eye on the Irish, potentially expanding the board to try and find one more 2027 linebacker in the class.
Kaden Henderson’s recruiting background
Henderson is currently considered a four-star player by each of the major recruiting platforms. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Henderson is rated as a five-star, the No. 22 overall player, the No. 1 linebacker, and the No. 3 player from the state of Florida for the 2027 recruiting class right now. He has been one of the biggest risers in the class over the offseason.
While his recruiting rankings are elite, Henderson’s offer list might be even better. With over 40 offers, Henderson has a long list of impressive options. Some of his top offers include the Fighting Irish, Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon, Michigan, Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, Tennessee, Florida, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, USC, Clemson, Miami, Auburn, Florida State, Missouri, South Carolina, Nebraska, Vanderbilt, West Virginia, SMU, Wisconsin, Pitt, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Minnesota, Baylor, UNC, Syracuse, UCF, Duke, and Kansas, among others.
Despite missing some time as a junior, Henderson was able to make his impact known on the Jesuit defense. In 10 games, the 6-1.5, 218-pound defender managed to collect 49 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and nine sacks. Henderson added another 20 quarterback hurries, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and a blocked punt.