Notre Dame is still taking a swing at Kaden Henderson, but the five-star linebacker isn’t giving the Irish much to work with.
Henderson confirmed in comments to On3 analyst Mike Singer that Notre Dame remains in contact and is still pushing to land him before December signing day. Even so, he made it clear that Texas A&M is still sitting in the spot he trusts most.
“I love Notre Dame, and they’re always in contact with me...I felt that A&M was the best place for me, and I think it still is.”
That’s the headline for Marcus Freeman and his staff: the door is not shut, but it’s barely cracked. Notre Dame is trying to flip the 2027 linebacker, yet Henderson did not sound like a player ready to reverse course.
Henderson, a 6-foot-½, 225-pound defender from Jesuit High School in Tampa, Florida, committed to Texas A&M on June 18, 2026. The Aggies beat out Notre Dame and LSU for his pledge, even after plenty of recruiting momentum pointed toward the Irish in the days leading up to his decision.
Four days before he committed, a lot of experts were predicting Notre Dame. Then Texas A&M surged at the end and won out.
That was a major miss for Notre Dame at the time, and Henderson’s profile explains why. He’s ranked as the No. 30 player in the 2027 class, the No. 1 linebacker in the country and the No. 4 player in Florida according to the latest Rivals Industry Rankings.
The production matches the billing. As a junior in 2025, Henderson piled up 49 total tackles in just 10 games because of injury, with 31 solo tackles and 13 tackles for loss. He also logged nine sacks, 20 quarterback hurries, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one blocked punt.
One of those turnovers went straight to the house, as Henderson returned a fumble recovery 56 yards for a touchdown. Before that, as a sophomore in 2024, he recorded 85 tackles, including 55 solo stops and 10 tackles for loss, along with one interception, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles and four quarterback hurries. Through his first three varsity seasons, he has totaled 219 tackles and 29 tackles for loss.
So yes, Notre Dame is still alive here. But Henderson’s latest comments leave Texas A&M in control for now.
If the Irish can keep pushing and the Aggies keep stumbling in conference play, maybe there’s a path. For the moment, though, this does not sound like a flip that’s ready to happen.
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