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What's the latest recruiting update on son of ex-NFL star Thomas Davis Sr. as dad's alma mater Georgia offers the Notre Dame commit?

Modified May 13, 2025 16:02 GMT

Four-star linebacker Thomas Davis Jr. committed to Notre Dame in November, becoming the first defensive pledge in the Fighting Irish’s 2026 recruiting class. The son of former Georgia standout Thomas Davis Sr. received an offer from the Bulldogs on Wednesday.

Following that offer, fans wondered if Marcus Freeman's program could hold on to the Georgia legacy or if Davis Jr. would flip his commitment.

On Friday, Davis Jr. was smiling in a photo with Freeman and other Notre Dame staff members. According to recruiting analyst Matt Freeman, the linebacker reaffirmed his decision.

“I’m locked in with Notre Dame,” Davis Jr. said.

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Davis Sr. played for the Bulldogs from 2002 to 2004, became a two-time All-SEC selection and earned consensus all-American honors in 2004. He was picked at No. 14 in 2005 by the Carolina Panthers and played for almost two decades in the NFL, earning close to $69 million.

Meanwhile, Davis Jr. is one of the best linebackers in the nation and totaled 62 tackles (eight for loss), 10 quarterback hurries, two interceptions and a forced fumble in 13 games in the 2024 season.

With the offer, Kirby Smart will continue to pursue Davis Jr. to follow in his father's footsteps in Athens. However, Notre Dame's history with legacy Bryce Young (son of Bryant Young) and Jerome Bettis Jr. (son of Jerome Bettis) proves that the Irish will stay strong in Davis Jr.'s commitment until he signs in December.

Davis Jr. is set to visit South Bend later this summer.

Thomas Davis Jr. praises Notre Dame DC Chris Ash

New Notre Dame defensive coordinator Chris Ash has coaching experience in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Las Vegas Raiders. He is a big draw for committed players like Thomas Davis Jr.

“He knows what he’s talking about and he has a ton of experience," Davis said in February, via the Irish Sports Daily. “With him having experience in the NFL, I’m always interested in learning more about it and what it was like in the league. He can bring some of that knowledge to make us better.”

Davis is the No. 170 prospect nationally, the No. 11 linebacker in the 2026 class and No. 11 prospect in North Carolina, according to 247Sports. Besides him, the Irish have 14 other committed players in this cycle.

About the author

Maliha is a High School Sports news and listicles writer at Sportskeeda. A post graduate in Management Information Systems, it was her love for writing and sports which led her down the path of sports content creation. An experienced NBA and NFL writer, she covered the two sports extensively at SportsZion and SportsKnot before joining SportsKeeda.

Maliha is a huge Baltimore Ravens fan and is in awe of quarterback Lamar Jackson's dual-threat abilities. She also admires Tom Brady and her all-time favorite coach is 3-time Super Bowl champion Andy Reid. She is a big advocate of high school sports and believes that elite athletes reach a top level owing to the discipline, hard work, team dynamics, resilience, adaptability and self-confidence learnt by playing sports in high schools. Aaron Rodgers leading the Green Bay Packers to victory on his debut against the Minnesota Vikings is one of her fondest NFL memories.

Maliha places a high emphasis on accuracy in her content. She does thorough research, always double checks facts, and only uses information from most relevant and credible sources for her articles. When not writing, she likes to read history and biographical books.

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