Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame football team's recruiting efforts are heating up with the 2027 class. Among the evidence that the Irish could have as good a class this year as they did last year is Kaden Henderson, one of the best linebackers in his class, naming ND among his final five favorites.
In making the announcement that he'd narrowed down his list, Henderson will now pit Notre Dame against Alabama, Miami, Ohio State, and Texas A&M for the No. 1 linebacker in the class using 247Sports Composite Rankings. The 6-foot-1.5, 220-pound defender is also listed as the top player at his position by On3's Industry Rankings. He's also the No. 25 player in the entire class according to Rivals.
If Notre Dame wins the battle for Kaden Henderson, they'll need to defeat the Aggies. Not long after he pared down his list to his final five, the linebacker received an official prediction that he would commit to Texas A&M.
Kaden Henderson's final five gives Notre Dame football a real shot at the top 2027 linebacker
It's not hard to see why Henderson is such a sought-after commodity. The WILL linebacker projects as more of a hybrid defender with his coverage talent and natural feel as a pass rusher. Being able to play either linebacker or edge is already a very valuable skill in this day and age.
Henderson certainly stands out among his peers in the class. During his junior season, he participated in both the Under Armour All-America Game (3 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PBU, 1 QBH, 0.5 sacks) and Polynesian Bowl (5 tackles, 0.5 TFL). The Jesuit High star logged 49 tackles (13 TFL), 20 QBH, 9 sacks, 4 PBU, 2 FF, and 1 FR, per MaxPreps. Those numbers were despite missing 5 games due to injury.
The next step in getting Kaden Henderson to commit to Notre Dame will get him back to South Bend this spring. He took an unofficial visit last November and clearly liked what he saw.