Notre Dame commit shuts down Kirby Smart and Georgia as he opts for the Fighting Irish family over Bulldog legacy
We are fresh off of the biggest recruiting weekend of the year for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and we are already seeing the dividends of that huge official visit. 2026 Glenside (Pa.) La Salle College offensive tackle Grayson McKeogh has already gone public with his commitment, and more are coming. While Notre Dame fans […]
We are fresh off of the biggest recruiting weekend of the year for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and we are already seeing the dividends of that huge official visit. 2026 Glenside (Pa.) La Salle College offensive tackle Grayson McKeogh has already gone public with his commitment, and more are coming.
While Notre Dame fans will be most excited about the next commitments joining the 2026 recruiting class under head coach Marcus Freeman, this past weekend was also about continuing to solidify things with their current commits. There is no better example than Matthews (N.C.) Weddington linebacker Thomas Davis Jr.
After taking an official visit to Georgia a couple of weeks ago, Fighting Irish fans were left uneasy with Davis’s standing in the class. There was optimism that Notre Dame would keep him in the fold, and they did just that. Following the weekend, Davis officially shut down his recruitment in favor of the Irish.
“I’m locked in, this place is special and there’s no where else I’d rather be. I’m excited for this journey. Go Irish!”
Those words were music to the ears for Notre Dame plans. With just Davis and Jakobe Clapper the only linebacker commits in the class, that group was already pretty small. Keeping a talented like Davis, especially away from his dad’s Alma mater is big time recruiting.
Davis’ father was an outstanding player in the NFL, and a reminder that we are all getting old, and very quickly. The All-Pro linebacker spent 16 years on the NFL level, and 14 of those with the Carolina Panthers. During his entire career, Davis was able to collect 116 total tackles, 90 tackles for loss, 29 sacks, and 13 interceptions. That was good enough to earn Davis three Pro Bowl honors, and he was selected All-Pro once as well.
Before his father was a dominant player in the NFL, he was an All-American defender for the Georgia Bulldogs from 2002-04. With the impact that head coach Kirby Smart has had on the recruiting trail during his tenure with the Bulldogs, it was a hurdle the Irish were able to get around with Davis considering they hadn’t offered him for a long time. Truthfully, that was going to be the only offer that would make anyone nervous about.
Now Irish fans don’t need to be nervous anymore.
The 6-2, 210-pound defender is currently rated as a four-star player by the majority of the major recruiting platforms. Davis currently sits as the No. 189 overall player, No. 11 linebacker, and No. 11 player in the state of North Carolina in the 2026 recruiting class according to the 247Sports Composite ranking. Notre Dame originally won out for Davis over substantial offers from the likes of Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, Tennessee, and Clemson among many others.
As a junior, Davis was an absolute playmaker for the Weddington defense. In 13 games, he managed to collect 62 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, two interceptions, and 10 pass breakups. He brings a unique style that could potentially excel at either MIKE or WILL on the next level.
Predicting the entire Notre Dame 2026 defensive class following biggest recruiting weekend of the year for the Fighting Irish
Predicting the 2026 Notre Dame defensive class
