One of the best things about this Notre Dame football class, in addition to its obvious talent, is that the guys committing to Marcus Freeman this year are truly standup people. Kaydon Finley demonstrated that again just a day after he committed to the Fighting Irish.
Finley was the third commit in a three-day streak for Notre Dame. His commitment announcement wasn't all that different from dozens of others. He even did the deke, reaching for a Texas Longhorns' hate before tossing it away. But it was the note he sent out on Monday that sets him apart and impressed the heck out of everyone on social media.
The Notre Dame football commit began the post on X like any other, saying, "God's plan." However, he then included a lengthy thank-you note to all the teams that served as "finalists" and narrowly lost out to the Fighting Irish.
The post included a note to Arizona State, Texas A&M, and Texas. And it took no time at all for people to notice that the degree to which he wrote glowingly about the other schools and their coaching staff stood apart.
Notre Dame football commit Kaydon Finley posts heartfelt thanks to rival programs
It wasn't just Notre Dame fans that thought Finley's note was all class. People like Texas A&M recruiting analyst Billy Liucci were among the first to point out how original and different the wide receiver's post was.
One of, if not the, classiest post-commitment messages I've seen 🫡 https://t.co/RpGW92mKZj
— Billy Liucci (@billyliucci) July 6, 2025
Parents of Finley's future teammates noticed the note as well.
Class act! So glad to have him as one of my sons class of 26 teammates☘️ https://t.co/vo3U1dBono
— Elisha Nichols (@ElishaNichols) July 6, 2025
Guys who have been around the sport and watched recruiting closely were also quick to point out that the newest Fighting Irish commit really did something that was very, very different than even other commits do when they send out thank you notes.
The namedropping of coaches and players from the programs that were competing with Notre Dame for the commitment of Kaydon Finley is quite remarkable. This is much more than "I wish them the best." This is personable and genuine.
— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) July 6, 2025
The Irish are getting a real one in Finley. https://t.co/CGwbNBq0Vi
The Notre Dame football program is luckly to have Kaydon Finley. He's yet another commitment to Marcus Freeman that is more than a talented football player.