Texas Misses on Son of Program Legend on Friday

Texas Misses on Son of Program Legend on Friday originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

In a stunning turn of events on July Fourth weekend, the Texas Longhorns football program suffered a significant recruiting blow as four-star wide receiver Kaydon Finely, son of Longhorns legend Jermichael Finley, committed to Notre Dame on Friday.

The announcement, made via a vibrantĀ X post shared by Hayes Fawcett of On3, displayed an electrifying graphic of Finley in Fighting Irish gear, guitar in hand, against a backdrop of Notre Dame’s stadium and fireworks.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Aledo, Texas Native chose the Irish over the Longhorns, the Texas A&M Aggies, and the Arizona State Sun Devils, declaring, “Let’s bring a NATTY home IRISH nation,” accompanied by a clover emoji.

Finley’s decision stings particularly for the Longhorns, given his lineage. His father, a former standout at Texas, left behind a legacy that many thought would anchor Kaydon to Austin.

Instead, the Fighting Irish’s rising recruiting prowess under head coach Marcus Freeman outshone the Longhorns’ efforts.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian after his team’s loss to Ohio State in the 2025 Cotton BowlSara Diggins / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Finley’s impressive stats — 1,423 receiving yards and 21 receiving touchdowns in his junior year — had made him a highly sought after recruit.

The X thread erupted with reactions, from Fighting Irish fans celebrating the massive coup for their program to Longhorns supporters lamenting the loss.

For a Fighting Irish program coming off a National Championship appearance under Freeman, securing the commitment of Finley represents a massive gain.

The Fighting Irish’s brilliant recruiting efforts leave the Longhorns, a program known for landing some of the most premier football recruits over the years under head coach Steve Sarkisian, eager to regroup and reassess their strategy.

Related: Nation’s No. 1 QB Reacts to Texas’ Latest Commitment

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 5, 2025, where it first appeared.

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