Football
Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame seem determined to make a run for the College Football Playoff in the 2026 season after missing it last season. For now, the Irish are focused on their spring practices, and a couple of freshmen are already turning heads.
Football Jermichael Finley’s Son Kaydon Set to Start in Slot as Notre Dame Begins Spring
Wide receivers coach Mike Brown plans to start freshman Kaydon Finley in the slot as spring practices begin, and the young pass-catcher seems to be approaching the opportunity with the right mentality.
“Yeah, just stay with a positive mindset, there’s going to be hard days,” Finley said. “I’m new to college, there’s going to be hard days, but just remembering my family back at home, remembering my reason why I have little brothers back at home. I’m here to accomplish my dream, accomplish my goal, so just getting better each and every day, focus on my task each and every day, waking up and just remembering why I’m here is how you separate yourself in the room.”
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Finley is the son of former Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley, who was part of the team that won Super Bowl XLV. The freshman said he often tries to mirror his father’s approach whenever he steps on the field: playing aggressively, catching passes, delivering hits, pushing upfield, and ultimately finding the end zone.
Finley brings a versatile skill set that allows him to line up at multiple receiver spots and has phenomenal ball-tracking ability. He also trained with renowned wide receiver coach Margin Hooks, and he now has high ambitions heading into the 2026 season.
“I really describe my game as physical,” Finley said, via The Irish Sports Daily. “I’m a physical player. I can go attack the ball. I have smooth route running. I have great hands. I feel like I can go attack the ball. 50-50 balls I can get. Get open in man coverage, zone coverage, really anything. I think a big thing in my game is playing physical and fearless.
“Right now, I play slot receiver. We’re going to see how that turns out. I feel like I can use my size, my physicality on the inside. I can block, chip the edge, block the linebackers, get the safeties, any of that. I feel like I can get open against press coverage, man coverage.”
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Finley set the program’s single-season record for touchdown receptions and also became its all-time leader in receiving touchdowns during his time at Aledo High School. He was ranked as the No. 165 recruit in the nation, the No. 25 wide receiver in the 2026 class, and the No. 24 prospect in Texas, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings.
The 2026 receiver group is considered one of the strongest wideout classes Freeman has assembled at Notre Dame in years. It will fall to Brown to help mold promising newcomers like Finley into impact contributors for the Irish offense, which finished last season ranked No. 8 nationally in the PFSN College Football Offense Metric with an 88.5 score.
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