If you follow Notre Dame football recruiting closely, you certainly know the name Kaden Henderson. The 2027 linebacker out of Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit is one of the best overall players in the 2027 recruiting class. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish staff have not stopped pushing to flip him from Texas A&M.

On the 247Sports Composite, Henderson is rated as a 5-star prospect. That includes being the No. 24 overall player, the No. 1 linebacker, and the No. 4 player from Florida in the 2027 class.

Henderson is committed to Texas A&M and pledged to the Aggies on June 18. He chose Texas A&M over Notre Dame, Alabama, LSU, and Miami, among 47 total offers.

Notre Dame never stopped pushing for Kaden Henderson

Notre Dame was considered to potentially be the frontrunner for Henderson before his June commitment. A late push and some negative recruiting aimed at the blue and gold sent Henderson to College Station instead.

That hasn’t stopped the Irish staff. Henderson continues to say that he is 100% committed to Mike Elko’s squad. Still, the conversations between Henderson, Freeman, linebackers coach Brian Jean-Marie, and the rest of the Notre Dame staff have continued over the last several months.

With Texas A&M continuing to struggle, many have theorized that Notre Dame has a good chance to eventually flip the talented linebacker before National Signing Day. If the Irish do want to make that flip happen, they are quickly running out of time.

Why Nov. 7 is the date to watch

The push for Notre Dame has been to get Henderson on campus for Nov. 7, when the Fighting Irish take on No. 1 Miami. The staff wants Henderson in the building for it.

If Notre Dame is able to get Henderson on campus for that showdown, it will speak volumes about how legitimate the flip opportunity is. I’ll even go so far as to say that if he does make that trip, I feel pretty good about where Notre Dame stands.

If he doesn’t make the trip, I think that dream is almost dead.

Nothing is 100% in the recruiting world. In just a couple of weeks, though, we are going to gain a deep understanding of where things stand. Is it truly between Notre Dame and Texas A&M? Henderson certainly likes the Fighting Irish. The question is whether that is enough to trump everything that the Aggies are offering.

By Nov. 7, we will have a definite answer on that front.

Kaden Henderson’s senior season

It’s easy to understand why Notre Dame is so high on Henderson. The 6-1.5, 218-pound linebacker has been dominant for Tampa Jesuit as a senior.

In six games, Henderson has recorded:

– 40 total tackles – Nine tackles for loss – Six sacks – Six quarterback hurries – Two pass breakups – A fumble recovery

What makes Henderson special is his versatility. He can make plays rushing off the edge and playing as a stacked linebacker. Truthfully, he can impact the game all over the field. That kind of skill set gives him tremendous upside at the next level.

Notre Dame has been high on Henderson for quite some time. Very soon, we will know whether the Irish will eventually be able to make him a part of the 2027 class. It all comes down to whether he is in South Bend for the Miami game.