Notre Dame football still has a pulse in the recruitment of Kaden Henderson, but Marcus Freeman shouldn’t start planning a flip celebration yet. The five-star linebacker confirmed the Irish continue to pursue him, then delivered the reminder that Texas A&M is still the place he believes is best for him.
Marcus Freeman and his staff certainly hope they can find a way to get him to decommit from the SEC team. That said SEC team is having a rough conference season, could go a long way to letting them get a foot in the door.
Speaking to On3 analyst Mike Singer, Henderson confirmed that Notre Dame coaches have continued pursuing him, hoping to flip him before December signing day. However, his comments shouldn't give Fighting Irish fans much confidence that Henderson will pull the trigger on a decommitment.
“I love Notre Dame, and they’re always in contact with me...I felt that A&M was the best place for me, and I think it still is.”
Kaden Henderson leaves Notre Dame football flip hopes alive while reaffirming Texas A&M
Kaden Henderson is a 5-star linebacker in the 2027 recruiting class. The 6-foot-½, 225-pound linebacker plays for Jesuit High School in Tampa, Florida. Henderson committed to Texas A&M on June 18, 2026, choosing the Aggies over finalists Notre Dame and LSU.
Four days before Henderson committed to the Aggies, many recruiting experts predicted the Blue Chip linebacker would pick Notre Dame. However, just before he made his pick, the winds shifted quickly. Texas A&M suddenly took the lead, and he chose them.
It was a big loss. Henderson is ranked as the No. 30 player in the 2027 class, the No. 1 player at his position and the No. 4 player in the state of Florida according to the latest Rivals Industry Rankings.
As a junior at Jesuit in 2025, Henderson recorded 49 total tackles, including 31 solo tackles and 13 tackles for loss, despite playing only 10 games because of injury. He added nine sacks, 20 quarterback hurries, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one blocked punt.
Henderson returned his fumble recovery 56 yards for a touchdown. As a sophomore in 2024, he recorded 85 tackles, including 55 solo stops and 10 tackles for loss, plus one interception, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and four quarterback hurries. Through his first three varsity seasons, Henderson accumulated 219 total tackles and 29 tackles for loss.
The battle for Kaden Henderson isn't quite over. If Notre Dame can get up off the mat after BYU and if Texas A&M continues to struggle, there might be an opening. For now, it doesn't appear the Irish should be planning to pop champagne over a flip.
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