Talented 2026 Defender Simeon Caldwell Has "Amazing" Experience At Notre Dame

Notre Dame hosted talented 2026 defender Simeon Caldwell for an unofficial visit

2026 defender Simeon Caldwell poses with Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman / Simeon Caldwell

Since their annual Pot of Gold offer event, things have been trending in a great direction with several big time 2026 recruits. One player who is very high on Notre Dame so far is Jacksonville (Fla.) Bolles School defender Simeon Caldwell, who the program sees as a versatile second level defender that can do a little bit of everything. 

Caldwell made his first trip to South Bend this past weekend. It was a great opportunity to get to see the campus, check out the scrimmage and speak with the coaches in person. Notre Dame did not disappoint. 

"The visit was amazing overall,” Caldwell told Irish Breakdown. "My favorite part was watching the jersey scrimmage and seeing the players play with so much confidence that the coaches instilled in them and that they were having fun playing.”

Caldwell got a chance to spend a lot of time with the coaches to talk about football, everyday life and how the Florida star potentially fits with the program. The larger scope of what the program brings was discussed, as well as positional everything that Caldwell can do. 

"The conversations I had with the coaches made it seem like I had known them for a long time,” he said. "I felt really comfortable interacting with them more than a lot of schools I have visited. Seeing me in person, they view me as possibly playing both safety and linebacker just depending on how my body develops these next two years. My versatility is a big sell.”

As a player and person, Caldwell strives to be the best version of himself everyday. That is a similar value that the Irish program stands by. Coming out of the visit, Notre Dame seems like an early ideal fit. They are trending well with one of the top overall defenders in the 2026 class. 

"I really like the school,” Caldwell explained. "It’s the best of both worlds with football and academics. And it’s not for the lighthearted. They are gonna push you to be your best everyday.”

Caldwell is putting together an elite offer list. Some of the top programs who have extended offers so far include the Fighting Irish, Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, Texas, Miami, Florida State, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Louisville, Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland, Ole Miss, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Indiana and UCF among others. 

It’s no surprise that multiple recruiting platforms are very high on Caldwell early on. He ranks as a four-star recruit by both On3 and Rivals, coming in as the No. 74 and No. 106 overall player respectively. On the On3 Industry ranking, Caldwell currently sits as the No. 78 overall player, No. 8 safety and No. 11 player in the state of Florida. 

As a sophomore, Caldwell was stellar for the Bulldogs. In 14 games, the 6-3, 185-pound athlete collected 137 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss and two interceptions. Caldwell also had one sack, five quarterback hurries and two blocked punts.

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