Just a day ago, it seemed like Kaden Henderson to Notre Dame was all but a lock. Even when he announced he was committing on Thursday, a day before a scheduled official visit to South Bend, things still seemed to be going Marcus Freeman's way. Unfortunately, the vibes have shifted (as they're wont to do in this crazy thing we call recruiting) and the Fighting Irish are no longer the favorites to land the 5-star linebacker.
Things took a dark turn in the eyes of the Golden Domers at some point on Tuesday night. By Wednesday morning, Henderson had two predictions on Rivals from two Aggies insiders, entered that morning. Just why things changed isn't known, though most people, unsurprisingly, are claiming the SEC school came up with more money. That may or may not be the deciding factor.
It's been a whirlwind period over the last week when it comes to Kaden Henderson. Not long ago, Miami looked like it was about to land the Jesuit High (Tampa, Florida) product, but in the end, something happened there. The Hurricanes either backed off or the linebacker said thanks, but no thanks, to Mario Cristobal. That made Notre Dame the apparent leader in the clubhouse, but as he prepares to announce on the Pat McAfee show Thursday afternoon, it's believed he'll call out Texas A&M.
With how well Texas A&M is recruiting under head coach Mike Elko, and all that they can offer a player like Henderson, the Irish might have seen this latest twist coming. They needed to keep the momentum going right up until the point where Henderson pulled the trigger. For now, they might not have succeeded.
Kaden Henderson will announce his college commitment LIVE on @PatMcAfeeShow show this Thursday at 1:15pm ET
— Billy Tucker (@TheUCReport) June 17, 2026
LSU, Notre Dame, and Texas A&M are the final three for the No. 1 LB in the SC Next 300. Where’s home? 👀https://t.co/BFsDveeseD pic.twitter.com/RbuMopZ6DY
Notre Dame may have to fight dirty to steal Kaden Henderson away from Texas A&M
Even if Henderson does call the Aggies' name on Thursday afternoon, it's not all bad news. In fact, there's still just under six months of fighting left to be done before the 5-star linebacker can officially sign on the dotted line.
Notre Dame has stayed in the fight while over 40 teams have fallen by the wayside. In addition to Freeman's squad, Henderson boasts offers from Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Indiana, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, and many others.
The prospect ranked No. 22 nationally, No. 1 at linebacker, and No. 3 in Florida according to the 247Sports Composite ratings, isn't someone that whoever loses the recruiting battle will just let go. Such is the way of things in this day and age.
Henderson is a lanky, productive linebacker with coverage skills and obvious athleticism. He plays an aggressive brand of football and recorded 49 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, nine sacks, and two forced fumbles in 10 games despite missing some time with injuries in 2025.
While the vibes around Notre Dame and Kaden Henderson aren't great, there have been many changes over the last couple of weeks as far as where he was leaning. Even if it's bad news for the South Bend denizens this week, things could flip by winter.
Add us as a preferred source on Google