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