WR Kaydon Finley shuns dad's alma mater, picks Notre Dame
He is the son of former NFL tight end Jermichael Finley, who played his college ball at Texas before being selected by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He spent all six of his NFL seasons with Green Bay, winning a Super Bowl.
Kaydon Finley is ranked by the 247Sports composite as the No. 14 wide receiver in the 2026 class and the No. 15 player in prospect-rich Texas.
He plays at Aledo High School and tallied 81 receptions for 1,432 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2024. He had nine 100-yard games.
Finley took an official visit to his father's alma mater two weeks ago. He also made official trips to Texas A&M, Louisville and Arizona State, as well as Notre Dame.
Notre Dame's 2026 schedule shows the first possible game Finley could play with the Irish would be Sept. 6 against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field, home of the Packers.
247Sports projects that the Irish will land the commitment of another NFL legacy this weekend -- Devin Fitzgerald, the son of former Arizona Cardinals great Larry Fitzgerald.
The younger Fitzgerald is a three-star receiver from Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix. His father played at Pitt.
Notre Dame's 2026 class currently is ranked No. 3 by the 247Sports composite, trailing Southern California and Georgia. It is anchored by a pair of five-star prospects -- edge Rodney Dunham of Charlotte, N.C., and safety Joey O'Brien of Pennsylvania.
--Field Level Media
Field Level Media 2025 - All Rights Reserved
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
2025 Jacksonville Jaguars' roster preview: CB Montaric Brown
With offseason programs now behind us, we will be getting a jump start on our training camp preview by going player-by-player through the Jacksonville Jaguars' 91-man roster. Going alphabetically, up is cornerback Montaric Brown. Advertisement Montaric Brown's profile Height: 6-0 Weight: 190 Age: 25 NFL experience: 3 seasons College: Arkansas No. 30 2024 Snap count totals Defense: 855 Special teams: 149 2024 PFF grades Defense: 62.2 Special teams: 51.2 2024 Season Review Brown appeared in all 17 games defensively last season, which included making 10 starts. While he allowed a completion rate of 70%, Brown did hold opponents to just 11.3 yards per catch, limiting YAC with his steady tackling abilities. He also had one interception and five pass breakups. Looking ahead to the 2025 season Brown is competing with Jarrian Jones and Travis Hunter for the starting outside cornerback role opposite of Tyson Campbell. From the sounds of it, Brown has the early advantage in this battle, with ESPN's Michael DiRocco reporting that he was working with the first team defense throughout OTAs and minicamp. Advertisement In Anthony Campanile's vision-based and zone-heavy defensive scheme, there were a number of practices where we heard about Brown getting his hands on the ball while in coverage. By all accounts, Brown has acclimated himself well so far to this new system. "That's who he's been every day that I've been here," Anthony Campanile said of Brown's ball production. "And I can only go by what I see every day that I'm out here, he competes. He loves to compete. "Same thing like Tyson, whether it's on the line of scrimmage, he's not afraid to challenge people. To challenge people at the top of the route and play with technique, but whatever he's gotta do to strain and make the play, he's been doing that, which is awesome. That's what we've been preaching and he's doing that every day." This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Previewing Jaguars' 2025 roster: A closer look at CB Montaric Brown
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Analyst Reveals Key Difference In Alabama Between Nick Saban, Kalen DeBoer's Coaching
Analyst Reveals Key Difference In Alabama Between Nick Saban, Kalen DeBoer's Coaching originally appeared on Athlon Sports. It's never easy to follow a legend's lead. Kalen DeBoer was aware of that when he took over for the Alabama Crimson Tide, who'd grown accustomed to dominating college football under Nick Saban's direction. Advertisement On3's J.D. PicKell recently reminded fans in Tuscaloosa that DeBoer's job isn't the same as Saban's was. "It's a fool's errand to compare Kalen DeBoer and Nick Saban," PicKell said Friday on "The Hard Count with J.D. PicKell." "One, Nick Saban's the greatest of all time. There will never be another, okay? ... Also, the era in which Nick Saban coached? Very different than the era Kalen DeBoer is going to coach in." Unlike his predecessor, DeBoer has to concern himself with NIL as a factor in recruiting. The Crimson Tide currently have quite the recruiting haul in the Class of 2026, including 247Sports five-stars Xavier Griffin, Cederian Morgan and Jorden Edmonds. Ezavier Crowell, another Alabama commit, is rated a five-star by On3. Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images "Saban didn't really have to major in that when he was at Alabama," PicKell said. "Towards the end he did, but, for the most part, when he was winning national championships, that wasn't part of the college football fabric. ... That wasn't something he had to account for necessarily. Kalen DeBoer, if he doesn't account for that, they're cooked." Advertisement PicKell pointed out, too, that Saban's Crimson Tide won three national championships in the BCS format, a far less grueling path than DeBoer has to face with winning 3-4 consecutive postseason contests in the College Football Playoff to raise the trophy. Related: Nation's No. 2 WR Commits to Alabama This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
42 minutes ago
- USA Today
Ranking all 16 Big 12 offensive line units from worst to first
The Big 12 saw a mass exodus of talented skill players to the NFL last season, but what has gone under the radar is the impact on the trenches. Of last season's All-Big 12 first team, four of the five offensive linemen hit the NFL besides Utah's Spencer Fano. This led to programs scouring the portal to find answers along the offensive line. The Colorado Buffaloes needed to improve their offensive line, and they aggressively recruited some of college football's top prospects through the transfer portal. But as the Buffaloes upgraded, so did other teams such as Texas Tech. The conference has some potential NFL stars and a stacked transfer class, so which squad has the best trenches in the Big 12? As we head into the 2025 season, here are our rankings of all 16 Big 12 offensive lines heading into the season. Our other 2025 unit rankings: Quarterbacks, Running backs, Wide Receivers, Tight Ends 16. West Virginia Mountaineers It's not even the Mountaineers' fault that they come in at No. 16. They lost all five of their starters from last season after most entered the transfer portal following the hiring of head coach Rich Rodriguez. However, they have somewhat replenished through the portal with a few transfers, but not close to the experience that left. 15. UCF Knights The Knights' offensive line needed a major makeover this offseason. They only have one returning starter with Paul Rubelt at right tackle, who has anchored their offensive line the past two seasons. UCF added some depth through the portal with experienced players, but not to the same caliber as the players leaving the team. 14. Oklahoma State Cowboys The Cowboys are in the same boat as the Mountaineers with no returning starters. They lost all of their experience in their offensive line room when all five starters exhausted their eligibility last season. OSU comes in at No. 14 because they were able to bring in better transfers, experience-wise, who should be immediate difference makers. Kasen Carpenter is the most promising of their transfers, who played the second-most snaps out of any player at Tulsa last season. 13. Arizona Wildcats The Wildcats lost their anchor in Jonah Savaiinaea and failed to replace him. Arizona let up the second-most sacks in the Big 12 last season, so fixing its leaky offensive line was a major offseason priority. They brought in a plethora of transfers, but nobody with nearly enough experience to make a difference this season. Their best transfer would have to be Ka'ena Decambra, who had moderate success in his time at Hawaii. 12. Kansas Jayhawks The Jayhawks are returning All-Big 12 second team center Bryce Foster and guard Kobe Baynes from last year's squad. The team also hit the portal hard with five new faces. However, of their transfers, only one has enough college experience to make an immediate impact. While the Jayhawks rely on their run game, they may struggle as the new starters adjust. 11. TCU Horned Frogs TCU's offensive line is solid in pass protection, but struggles in the run game. Last season, they only tallied 113.9 rushing yards per game, but helped quarterback Josh Hoover to an outstanding passing season. The team is only returning the right side of their line with Ben Taylor-Whitfield and Carson Bruno. However, they are relying on transfers to step up and start. TCU is expected to have a decent year in 2025, but if Hoover isn't protected, it might be worse than expected. 10. Houston Cougars The Cougars have two returning starters from last season: left tackle David Ndukwe and center Demetruis Hunter. Houston did add some good transfers who are all slotted to compete for the starting jobs at their respective position. Houston's o-line will be competitive in the conference, but won't be the best. 9. Cincinnati Bearcats The Bearcats lost their starting guards with first-team All-Big 12 Luke Kandra and John Williams heading to the NFL. Those two leave big shoes to fill, but are keeping center and team captain Gavin Gerhardt. They also added two three-star transfers that should be slotted in to start for the team. The Bearcats' offensive line isn't as strong this year as it was previously, but it's not horrible. 8. BYU Cougars Even though the Cougars lost their starting quarterback, whoever is under center should feel protected behind BYU's o-line. BYU is most notably returning its captain from last season, Weylin Lapuaho, along with a few potential starters. They also brought in two three-star transfers this spring, along with former Colorado lineman Isaiah Jatta, who will likely start at left tackle. The team should have a decent offensive line in 2025, but probably not to the same level as their 2024 squad. 7. Colorado Buffaloes After Shedeur Sanders had another season where he was sacked 40 times, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, had to take action. His something? The transfer portal. The Buffs hit the portal hard, adding size and experience to a room that was lacking. Overall, Colorado added eight transfers to their offensive line room. That, paired with former five-star Jordan Seaton, sets the Buffs up to have a sneaky good offensive line this season, but only time will tell. 6. Kansas State Kansas State is returning its Second Team All-Big 12 center, Sam Hecht, and guard Taylor Poitier as its only starters. However, they have capable players that can step up into larger roles in 2025, such as Andrew Leingang, who saw playing time in every game last season. They also added a three-star transfer from Ohio State, George Fitzpatrick, who should be a solid starter for them. 5. Iowa State Cyclones Iowa State is projected to have a good year in the Big 12, and the play of their offensive line should be a significant factor. The Cyclones are returning Tyler Miller and James Neal II, who should slot in as starters. Along with returning starter Brendan Black at guard, the squad has many experienced linemen and should be a force to be reckoned with in the conference. 4. Baylor Bears Baylor is one of two teams returning most of its starters from last season. The team is returning key starters, including their blind side protector, Sidney Fugar, and guard Ryan Lengyel, who had a 78.0 pass blocking grade according to Pro Football Focus. Additionally, their right side is anchored by returning starter Omar Aigbedion, who received Second-Team All-Big 12 in 2024. Baylor is expected to have a high-powered offense in 2025, and a high-level offensive line is expected to play a key role. 3. Texas Tech Red Raiders The Red Raiders identified a problem and addressed it. After quarterback Behren Morton was sacked 23 times last year, they recruited three of the top 15 offensive linemen in the transfer portal. They are also returning a few starters in guard Davion Carter and center Sheridan Wilson. 2. Arizona State Sun Devils Despite losing their All-Big 12 lineman, ASU is returning four starters from the team that won the Big 12 last season. The squad is returning their tackles, Josh Atkins and Maxwell Iheanachor, along with guards Kyle Scott and Ben Coleman. However, they might face some inconsistency at center after losing Leif Fautanu to the NFL. 1. Utah Utes Utah is returning one of college football's top offensive tackles in Spencer Fano, after a stellar sophomore season. Playing the opposite side of the Utah offensive line is another potential first-round draft pick in Caleb Lomu. They are set on the interior as well, with returning starters at center and guard. Leading their interior is Tanoa Togiai, who was third among guards in overall PFF grade last season. At center, Jaren Kump returns after starting all 12 games last season. Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.
