The momentum from Notre Dame football's big recruiting weekend carried into Tuesday when four-star linebacker Thomas Davis Jr. announced his commitment to the Irish.
Davis, who Rivals ranks as the No. 4 inside linebacker and No. 119 overall prospect in the 2026 class, made an unofficial visit to Notre Dame for Saturday's 52-3 win over Florida State. It was Davis' first time attending a Notre Dame home game.
"I had a great time experiencing the first game I’ve been to in South Bend," Davis told Inside ND Sports. "Overall, I was excited to see the team beat Florida State. I had a great time talking with coaches and hanging out with some recruits and friends as well."
Davis became the second visitor from this past weekend to announce a pledge to Notre Dame. Three-star running back Nolan James Jr., a 2025 recruit, flipped his commitment from Boston College to Notre Dame on Monday.
Davis joined a pair of offensive recruits in Notre Dame's 2026 class: four-star quarterback Noah Grubbs and three-star wide receiver Dylan Faison.
Davis is the son of former NFL linebacker Thomas Davis Sr. The elder Davis was a consensus All-America selection at Georgia in 2004, a first-round NFL Draft pick for the Carolina Panthers in 2005, a First Team All-Pro selection in 2015, a three-time Pro Bowler (2015-17) and a 16-season NFL veteran.
The younger Davis has shown his potential as a standout defender at Matthews (N.C.) Weddington. As a sophomore last year, Davis Jr. totaled 92 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, eight pass breakups, one sack and one interception.
Notre Dame offered Davis Jr. on St. Patrick's Day, which the program calls Pot of Gold Day, earlier this year. Davis visited Notre Dame for a spring practice in March and a recruiting event in July before returning for Saturday's game.
The other top contenders in Davis' recruitment included Michigan, NC State, Ohio State, Oregon and Penn State.
Notre Dame's three-man class for 2026 is currently ranked No. 15 in the country by Rivals.
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