2026 Matthews (N.C.) Weddington linebacker Thomas Davis Jr. has been committed to Notre Dame since November, and has seemingly been an outstanding member of the Irish class. At the time of the commitment, this was viewed as a monumental recruiting victory for head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish. It not only continued the program’s momentum in the state of North Carolina, but stole a talented defense away from a long list of prominent suitors. Davis’ father of the same name was an outstanding NFL player, and a reminder that we are all getting old. The All-Pro linebacker spent 16 years in the NFL, and 14 of them with the Carolina Panthers. During his career, Davis was able to collect 116 total tackles, 90 tackles for loss, 29 sacks, and 13 interceptions. That was good enough to earn Davis three Pro Bowl honors, and he was selected All-Pro once as well.
Before his father was a dominant player on the NFL level, he was an All-American defender for the Georgia Bulldogs. With the impact that head coach Kirby Smart has had on the recruiting trail during his tenure, it was a hurdle the Irish were able to get around with Davis considering they hadn’t offered him. Truthfully, that was going to be the only offer that would make anyone nervous about. Anxiousness was injected into the Fighting Irish faithful on Wednesday when Georgia did offer Davis. There’s no telling if Georgia will be able to make up for lost time, especially with coming in so late. The obvious connection that have to the Davis family, however, could certainly make things interesting. The 6-2, 205-pound defender is currently rated as a four-star player by the majority of the major recruiting platforms. Davis currently sits as the No. 189 overall player, No. 11 linebacker, and No. 11 player in the state of North Carolina in the 2026 recruiting class according to the 247Sports Composite ranking. Notre Dame originally won out for Davis over substantial offers from the likes of Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, Tennessee, and Clemson among many others.As a junior, Davis was an absolute playmaker for the Weddington defense. In 13 games, he managed to collect 62 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, two interceptions, and 10 pass breakups. Let’s hope that Notre Dame can hold onto him down the stretch.
