Prized five-star linebacker and Notre Dame recruiting target Kaden Henderson has set a new commitment date.
The No. 1 linebacker in the class from Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit will reveal his college choice 13 days earlier than expected. Henderson is also the No. 26 overall player nationally and No. 4 prospect in Florida, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking. He will choose between Notre Dame, Texas A&M and LSU.
The 6-foot-0½, 225-pound Henderson was originally scheduled to announce his decision July 1. However, Rivals director of recruiting Chad Simmons reported Saturday that Henderson was closing in on a decision. Simmons also said Henderson felt like he knew where he wanted to be.
The next day, Simmons and Blue & Gold recruiting insider Mike Singer logged predictions into the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) for Henderson to choose the Irish. Meanwhile, Rivals vice president of recruiting Steve Wiltfong’s Feb. 23 prediction for Henderson to land at Texas A&M remains active at the time of publication, Tuesday at 6:15 p.m. ET.
Henderson could choose Notre Dame before taking an official visit to campus. His return trip to Notre Dame remains scheduled for June 19. Henderson last visited South Bend for an unofficial visit April 18. He first visited campus when Notre Dame hosted Navy on Nov. 8.
Ahead of Thursday’s announcement, Henderson has already taken official visits to LSU, Miami and Texas A&M. He was scheduled to visit Ohio State last weekend, but canceled the trip and began finalizing his decision plans.
On March 6, Henderson narrowed his recruitment to Miami, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Alabama from an offer sheet that included 30 Power Four programs. On April 11, he told Rivals national recruiting reporter Hayes Fawcett that LSU had emerged as a contender in place of Alabama.
In addition to those schools, Henderson reported offers from programs like Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Indiana, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and USC.
Notre Dame offered Henderson during its Pot of Gold Day recruiting event on March 17, 2025, when former linebackers coach Max Bullough was still on staff. Although the Irish emerged as a top contender after Henderson’s first visit Nov. 8, Bullough’s departure and two prior linebacker commitments complicated Notre Dame’s position.
Still, Irish coach Marcus Freeman helped steady the recruitment by visiting Henderson’s school in January. He also welcomed Henderson back to campus in April. On Thursday, Notre Dame will learn whether those efforts paid off. The Irish 2027 class already features 18 verbal commitments and ranks No. 3 nationally.