Tai’Yion King can see the finish line in his recruitment.
The Rivals250 linebacker from Port Arthur (Texas) Memorial will give himself two months to settle on a decision, but he plans to announce his college choice on July 4.
King’s recruitment, which has been relatively quiet this spring, should start having fireworks as he gets closer to official visits. When King announced his commitment date Friday evening, he included 10 schools in the picture: Tennessee, Michigan, Notre Dame, Alabama, Texas, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
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The 6-foot-2, 205-pound King previously scheduled official visits to Oklahoma State (May 2), Texas A&M (June 6), Texas (June 13), Notre Dame (June 20). But before he makes those trips, he plans to get to Texas A&M on April 19 for its spring game and Notre Dame for an unofficial visit on April 23. He also has been looking to make an official visit to Nebraska this month.
Thos schools are competing for a four-star recruit Rivals has ranked as the No. 14 linebacker and No. 156 overall in the 2026 class. That’s coming off a junior season in which King reported compiling 141 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, three sacks and two forced fumbles.
King’s upcoming visits should help him get the clarity needed to make a decision. But three schools have hosted King most frequently: Texas, Texas A&M and Notre Dame. The two in-state schools had King on campus in January for junior days.
Notre Dame has been recruiting King out of Texas since a Pot of Gold Day offer in March of last year. He then visited Notre Dame for the first time for the Blue-Gold Game last April and returned in November to watch ND destroy Florida State 52-3. Notre Dame sent head coach Marcus Freeman, linebackers coach Max Bullough, defensive line coach Al Washington and director of recruiting Carter Auman to visit King in Texas in January after ND’s season ended.
The Irish appear to be building recruiting momentum with a number of recruits in the Lone Star State for the 2026 class such as four-star wide receivers Kaydon Finley and Brayden Robinson, four-star running back Javian Osborne and four-star defensive tackle Tiki Hola. King’s next visit to Notre Dame could put him in that category.
King is the third Notre Dame target in the 2026 class to reveal future commitment dates in recent weeks. Four-star edge defender Rodney Dunham will share his decision on April 10. Hola will announce his commitment on May 10.
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