Notre Dame Is An Early Standout For Linebacker Thomas Davis Jr.

Notre Dame is high on the list for Thomas Davis Jr., who is set for his first visit to campus

2026 linebacker Thomas Davis Jr. / Thomas Davis Jr.

On Wednesday, an impressive list of talented 2025 and 2026 recruits will be making the trip to Notre Dame to check out spring practice. Among that group is 2026 Matthews (N.C.) Weddington star linebacker Thomas Davis Jr., who will be making his first visit to campus. 

Heading into that first trip, the Irish program has certainly piqued the talented linebacker’s interest. They have really been pursuing him heavily, and there is certainly a lot of intrigue there. Notre Dame has a chance to set the tone in this recruitment on Wednesday, continuing to develop those deep bonds. 

“The coaches are always communicating with me,” Davis told Irish Breakdown. “We really have great relationships so far. My relationship with the staff, Coach (Al) Golden and Coach (Max) Bullough is continuously growing. They are one of my favorite schools so far.” 

This visit will give Davis the chance to see a team practice, tour the campus and spend time with coaches. He also had a chance to see some current Irish players with similar backgrounds. 

“I’m most excited to see them live during the team period and get to meet the staff,” Davis explained. “I also get to see some of my old friends from home like Bryce Young, Micah Gilbert and Jack Larsen.”

Being such a talented recruit, Davis is being pursued by some fantastic programs. Notre Dame has made their presence felt, standing out as one of the top early contenders. 

“Recruiting has been solid so far,” he said. “Notre Dame, Ohio State, UCLA, UNC, Miami, Clemson and Virginia Tech all have been standing out so far.”

Getting in such a solid position is a great sign for Notre Dame. If the trip to South Bend goes well, they have a chance to really build some momentum. Davis is the type of versatile and high upside linebacker that the staff has valued so much since Marcus Freeman took over. 

Davis’ father was a star NFL linebacker, who enjoyed a 15 year NFL career, 13 of which came with the Carolina Panthers. During that career, Davis collected 1,216 total tackles, 90 tackles for loss, 29 sacks, 13 interceptions and 55 pass breakups. He was selected to three Pro Bowls and was named All-Pro once. 

His son, who is incredibly talented in his own right, is being courted by several big time programs so far. Davis currently holds offers from the Fighting Irish, Miami, USC, Penn State, LSU, Tennessee, Auburn, West Virginia, UCLA, Virginia Tech, UNC, NC State, South Carolina, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and Indiana. 

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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