Notre Dame football’s Grill and Chill recruiting event served more meaning than just the typical meat and potatoes Thomas Davis Jr. has used as the main course for his interest in the Fighting Irish.
After spending 5 1⁄2 hours on campus for the second time since April on Thursday, the top 250 four-star linebacker in the 2026 class suggested Notre Dame has cemented itself as a contender in his recruitment.
“I feel pretty good,” Matthews (N.C.) Weddington’s Davis told Blue & Gold after his plane landed in Charlotte on Thursday night. “I would say they are pretty high up there with the schools like Michigan, Penn State and Clemson. They’re pretty high up there with those kinds of schools. Ohio State, too.”
Marcus Freeman can attribute his speech to the 18 recruits and their families in attendance for setting the pace for a successful second visit for the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Matthews. The On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 9 linebacker nationally and No. 9 prospect in North Carolina vividly remembered Notre Dame’s head coach’s words nine hours after they struck the right chord in the room.
“It reiterated their entire plan for their players and how they feel from a developmental standpoint,” Davis said. “I go back to the 4-for-40, 4-for-forever thing. That stood out the most.”
Davis, also the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 110 player in the class, rewarded Freeman’s message by cooking him an excellent steak during the grilling competition.
“I made a great steak for Coach Freeman,” Davis said. “I cooked it medium rare.”
Thomas Davis Jr. connecting well with Notre Dame coaches, players and recruits
As the temperature rises in Davis’ Notre Dame recruitment, the program’s players have become key parts of the process.
Before Thursday’s visit, his coach at Weddington High, Andy Capone , told Blue & Gold that Davis had used Charlotte products — tight end Jack Larsen and wide receiver Micah Gilbert — as references in his recruitment. Although he did not see either Notre Dame freshman during his visit, Davis ran into Larsen at the airport on his way back to South Bend.
Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Al Golden and linebackers coach Max Bullough have been running point for Davis. Both have been in frequent contact since they could begin reaching out to him directly on June 15. He loved reconnecting with them during his time on campus.
“That was great,” Davis said. “We’re just continuing to build a relationship and get a better feel for the school to see how I feel about it. … They have a multiple-front look. They have two-to-three linebackers on the field at a time, so I’m sure I’d rotate through those spots.”
A linebacker the Irish would love to pair with Davis is top 100 four-star recruit Simeon Caldwell . The 6-3, 185-pounder from The Bolles School in Jacksonville, Fla., was also on campus Thursday. He’s the No. 69 overall player and No. 7 safety in the class. However, the Irish project him to be a hybrid linebacker, while Davis is a “stack guy.”
After leaving the Grill and Chill on Thursday afternoon, Davis confidently said he stacked another “great visit” to South Bend. Now, he has his fork and knife out to dig into where his Notre Dame recruitment goes from here.
“I just have to go on some more visits and see,” he said. “I’m really feeling interest from Notre Dame and Michigan. Recently, I started hearing a lot more from Penn State. It will all fall into place. I have to see where it all lines up with other schools.”
The post Notre Dame hopes to cook up commitment from On300 LB Thomas Davis Jr. following Grill and Chill visit appeared first on On3 .
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