Notre Dame earns commitment from 4-star LB, son of former all-pro

Notre Dame made a significant addition in the class of 2026 on Tuesday evening.

The Fighting Irish earned a commitment from 4-star linebacker Thomas Davis Jr. A North Carolina native, Davis is the son of former all-pro linebacker Thomas Davis, who spent 15 years in the NFL, mostly with the Carolina Panthers.

BREAKING: Four-Star LB Thomas Davis Jr. (2026) has Committed to Notre Dame, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’2 220 LB from Matthews, NC chose the Fighting Irish over Ohio State, Tennessee, & UNC

Is the son of Former NFL All-Pro LB Thomas Davishttps://t.co/XqsVw2n3TB pic.twitter.com/YuBahOMprW

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) November 12, 2024

Aside from being an NFL legacy, Davis is a tremendous prospect in his own right. He’s the No. 146 overall player and the No. 11 linebacker in the country for the 2026 recruiting cycle, per 247Sports Composite rankings. He’s also the No. 10 player from the state of North Carolina.

Davis chose Notre Dame over a host of other elite programs such as Clemson, Ohio State, Michigan, Miami, Ole Miss, LSU and plenty more. He initially received his offer from Notre Dame back in March of this year.

Davis is listed at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds. He attends Weddington High School in Matthews, North Carolina.

He is the third player to join Notre Dame’s 2026 recruiting class so far. However, Davis is currently the highest-rated recruit Notre Dame has in that cycle.

Here are some highlights from his high school career: