Linebacker Thomas Davis Jr. Has "Amazing" Notre Dame Visit

Notre Dame made a strong impression on linebacker Thomas Davis Jr.

On Wednesday, Notre Dame welcomed several big time recruits to campus to check out spring practice. That included 2026 Matthews (N.C.) Weddington star linebacker Thomas Davis Jr., who was making his first trip to South Bend. 

Heading into the visit, Davis could not have had more positive things to say about the Irish program. Leaving it, he was even higher. It’s early but Notre Dame has already made an impressive impression on the North Carolina star. 

“Overall the visit was amazing,” Davis told Irish Breakdown. “I loved the whole school, from football to the campus. The coaching staff was great also. I enjoyed every aspect of the trip. 

“Notre Dame is definitely an early favorite out of all the schools,” he added.

The Irish staff is littered with coaches who have a lot of experience playing and coaching linebackers at the highest level, including Max Bullough, Marcus Freeman and Al Golden. Seeing how Notre Dame is developing that room, was something that Davis gravitated towards. He was able to understand the scheme further, and evaluate how he would potentially fit. 

“Being able to sit in on the meetings was really cool,” Davis explained. “It was great to be able to see the coaches teach the players in the classroom, understanding what their mistakes were and go out and get them right on the field. 

“We haven’t gotten into my exact fit on the field just yet, but I can definitely see myself fitting into the defense,” Davis continued. “I can see myself personally fitting in on the defense as a lengthy linebacker who can cover and play the run as well.”

So far, Notre Dame has really impressed Davis, who is one of the top linebackers in the 2026 class. They are setting the tone for what is going to be a competitive pull from a state that is becoming more and more of a priority for the Irish. 

The 6-1, 200-pound defender is also well thought of from a recruiting ranking perspective. Both 247Sports and Rivals have him rated as a four-star recruit, while also pegging him as the No. 83 and No. 67 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class respectively. 

As a part of a 14-2 Weddington squad, Davis was a defensive stalwart as a sophomore. Playing everywhere from linebacker, safety and as a pressure player, Davis finished with 92 total tackles in 2023. He also recorded 13.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, eight pass breakups and seven quarterback hurries. 

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