Kaydon Finley officially signed with Notre Dame earlier this month, closing out his recruitment and setting the stage for what comes next for the 2026 Texas wide receiver.
“It was great,” Finley told Irish Sports Daily of signing with Notre Dame.
“Got the recruiting process over with and just ready to go out there and ball.”
Finley will enroll in South Bend early, a decision rooted in preparation and comfort as he transitions into college life.
“Just to be able to learn the playbook a little faster,” Finley said of the reasons for the decision. “Get used to living a college life so I don’t have to do that, and then jump right into the season.
“I just think getting a head start on all that is the main thing that really pushed my decision.”
The expectations that come with that head start at Notre Dame were not hidden during the recruiting process. In fact, Finley said they actually reinforced his choice.
“They said those workouts are really hard,” Finley said. “Classes are really hard also. So just all those things, but that’s also a little part of why I picked Notre Dame; just choose hard.”
Preparation has already begun as Finley gets ready to arrive on campus.
“At my high school, we have early-morning practices, so I’ll be used to that,” he said.
“In the classroom, just trying to learn new study habits and how to take notes and how to retain stuff like that is what I’ve been working on since I committed there.”
Relationships within Notre Dame’s 2026 class have continued to grow after being cemented during a June official visit weekend.
“You can definitely tell it’s a different brotherhood,” Finley said. “Going into our OVs, we didn’t know everybody. We knew a little bit about each other, but we didn’t really know the person everybody was.”
The group has only grown tighter since.
“Now, we’ve got an unbreakable bond,” Finley said. “I’m ready to go to war with these guys and spend the next three, four, or five years with these guys.”
When it comes to long-term goals, Finley didn’t hesitate.
“Winning a national championship,” Finley said. “It’d mean a lot; just give the Notre Dame community what they deserve, helping them win a national championship and just showing people what our hard work deserves.”
Leaving home carries mixed emotions as the next chapter approaches for Finley, who wrapped up high school last week.
“It’s a little bitter just because I’m leaving family, all my friends, the memories I’ve made here,” he said.
“But it’s also sweet because I know this has been my dream ever since I was a little kid. So just to be able to go chase that dream and do it with the best people makes that decision a little bit easier and that change a little bit easier.”
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