Marcus Freeman saw his hold on one of the best Notre Dame football commits slipping a bit and tightened his grip. That man continues to have the hottest touch of any coach in the country right now and that includes making sure he holds onto guys like Thomas Davis Jr.
The legacy Georgia prospect (whose father was an All-American with the Bulldogs) recently got some extra attention from Kirby Smart and company. There were some worries about South Bend that extra attention might end up making him flip. The 4-star linebacker made it clear it was too little, too late just a day after the concerns surfaced.
Thomas Davis Jr. locks in with Notre Dame after Georgia’s late push
On Friday morning, Thomas Davis Jr. took a photo with Fighting Irish coaches smiling broadly. Matt Freeman reported that the linebacker commit told him, “I’m locked in with Notre Dame.”
Short, sweet and to the point.
Obviously, things can change quickly in the world of recruiting and there’s still seven months until the North Carolina prospect has to sign on the dotted line. Kirby Smart isn’t going anywhere.
He almost certainly saw this post and immediately made a phone call to Thomas Davis Sr. “Hey, I need a little help with your son, don’t you want him coming to your alma mater?”
But for now the Irish continue to be on the hot streak of all hot streaks when it comes to both landing commits and then keeping them in the fold. In general there’s just a massive amount of optimism in South Bend.
The team is coming off a run to the national title game. It’s hauling in one of the best classes in the 2026 recruiting cycle. It’s lined up nicely to land a 4-star defensive lineman this weekend and it’s on the precipice of flipping a running back commit from Penn State.
Freeman has the magic touch for the Notre Dame football team at the moment. Holding onto Thomas Davis Jr. doesn’t seem all that shocking when you put it in that context. But it still feels good to see the player effectively slam the door in Kirby Smart’s face. That will never not be satisfying.