Four-star wide receiver Kaydon Finley, the son of Super Bowl XLV champion Jermichael Finley, announced his commitment to Notre Dame over Texas on Friday, sealing the Fighting Irish's latest ESPN 300 addition to coach Marcus Freeman's incoming class.
Finley, a 6-foot-1 pass catcher who plays for Texas powerhouse Aledo High School, is ESPN's No. 114 overall prospect in the 2026 cycle. He lands with Notre Dame following official visits with the Irish, Arizona State, Texas and Texas A&M this spring and is the 16th ESPN 300 pledge in the program's fourth-ranked 2026 recruiting class.
He told ESPN that Notre Dame has maintained a constant presence in his recruitment since his sophomore year. He credited his relationship with Freeman, offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock and wide receivers coach Mike Brown, along with 2026 commits including top 150 recruits Khary Adams, Joey O'Brien and Thomas Davis Jr., for helping sway his commitment to the Irish.
"On my OV, the recruits they brought in that weekend was a special thing," Finley said. "Notre Dame doesn't just recruit any type of player. You have to be a special person to be able to go there. So the people they're bringing in with me had a big impact on where I decided to go."
Finley's father played three seasons at Texas from 2005 to 2007 before landing with the Green Bay Packers as the 91st overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft. The elder Finley caught 223 passes for 2,785 yards and 20 touchdowns across an eight-year NFL career before his retirement in 2014. He was a member of the 2010 Super Bowl champion Packers, who defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.
The younger Finley has emerged as one Texas' most productive high school receivers at Aledo from 2022 to 2024. A two-time state champion, Finley has hauled in 148 passes for 2,552 yards and 34 touchdowns over three varsity seasons. He notched nine 100-yard receiving performances in a dominant junior campaign last fall, closing the 2024 season with 81 receptions for 1,432 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns.
Finley's commitment continues a productive stretch on the 2026 recruiting trail for Notre Dame, which has added 12 ESPN 300 pledges since April 1.
Finley arrives as the seventh-ranked member of the program's incoming class and the latest top 300 skill position prospect around four-star quarterback pledge Noah Grubbs (No. 162 overall). He joins June tight end pledge Ian Premer (No. 60), running backs Javian Osborne (No. 81) and Jonaz Walton (No. 140), and wide receiver Bubba Frazier (No. 266) among the ESPN 300 prospects filling out the Irish's offensive class in 2026.