Notre Dame Delivers Full Circle Moment for 2027 WR Julian Caldwell’s Family

Notre Dame is often an eye-opening experience for recruits and their families. 

Kirsten Wiggins, the mother of 2027 Argyle (Texas) receiver Julian Caldwell‍, is one of the few exceptions, as she entered Notre Dame’s Junior Day with high expectations. 

Wiggins not only grew up in Indiana but was also a fan of the Fighting Irish, making the visit meaningful on multiple levels.

“It was a unique experience because I grew up in Indiana,” Wiggins told ISD. “I cheered on Notre Dame growing up.  It's always been known as like this great school and great football program.” 

The top priority was letting her son learn more about Notre Dame, but it also served as a special moment as a family. 

“It was almost like a full circle moment,” said Wiggins. “It was a unique experience getting to finally meet the coaches and getting behind the scenes of Notre Dame football.

“My dad came because he grew up a Notre Dame fan also.  It was almost like a dream. It was really cool to see everything and be there. We were almost like living out our best lives on campus while learning more about the school and the program. It was an amazing experience.” 

Notre Dame made sure to leave a strong first impression, rolling out the red carpet for Caldwell and his family during what could be a pivotal visit.

The coaching staff emphasized a complete experience, one that extended well beyond football.

“We're on this recruiting process for football,” explained Wiggins. “But for me, academics are extremely important. Julian is a very, very smart kid. Hearing everything that Notre Dame has to offer academically just kind of clicked for me with Notre Dame. 

“One of their points was, where else can you get a five-star education with a five-star football program? It's so true, like they are one of the rare schools that have both.” 

That message resonated, but it wasn’t just the degree that stood out.

“The class sizes are smaller,” stated Wiggins. “You have a 9:1 student-to-teacher ratio. They don't offer online classes during the fall and spring. You get a lot of individual attention. There's a lot of focus on academics. You're not just a football player. You are there as a student and that’s important.” 

Caldwell was offered by Notre Dame last March, but his recruitment with the Irish has ramped up over the last few months, making the time spent with head coach Marcus Freeman crucial. 

“You can tell how much he cares for his players and what he does is truly for his players,” Wiggins explained. “You can 100 percent see why he's a players coach and why people love him so much. He's just a truly genuine guy who really cares about these players, not only as athletes, but as young men. I love that as a parent.” 

Under Freeman, Notre Dame has made it a priority to show recruits how they fit in with other prospects on the board and with players on campus. 

Wiggins noticed the fit right away. 

“He definitely clicked with the players,” said Wiggins. “There is a receiver there, Kaydon Finley. He's from Aledo, which is not far from where we are. So Julian knew of him.

“They had good conversations and then him meeting with other players, like, I just feel like they clicked really well. It was nice to see.” 

Perhaps more importantly for Notre Dame, Wiggins saw her son notice the fit with like-minded recruits and players. 

“On other visits, I haven't really seen that as much,” Wiggins said. “For me to see it and really see how Julian responded, I was excited about that because again, I hadn't seen that.” 

As a parent, Wiggins felt comfort in knowing her son could be around kids with similar character and big-picture goals. 

“They're all there to play football,” Wiggins stated. “It's a great school. I don't think there's any way you can slack at Notre Dame. The personality fit, I just feel like it all just kind of came together. This was a first visit, so the impression was a really great visit for all that to just happen. 

“We've been to other schools several times. Texas, Texas Tech and Oregon. We've all been there over five times each. To see this, on a first visit, it definitely shows a lot.” 

Wiggins also saw her son respond a little differently to this trip.

As mentioned, they’ve seen several schools, but she saw her son embrace what Notre Dame had to offer, which could be the biggest takeaway as a mother. 

“Of course, when you're on a visit, you’re on a visit high. But I could tell by his interactions with the coaches, by his interactions with the players, and just seeing how he reacted to campus and all their team meetings on different things. 

“We arrived Friday night and by Saturday night, he was like, ‘Mom, I can really see myself coming here. I can see myself being here.’ For him to say that after the first visit, I knew he meant it.” 

Like most parents, Wiggins wants her son to make the best decision for himself, and it’s clear Notre Dame is firmly in the mix. 

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