As Notre Dame continues its search for their next GM, the recruiting and evaluation side of things has not slowed down in the interim. I recently did a scouting report on WR Brayden Robinson, who was a Junior Day visitor. Now, we will look to the other side of the ball at a prospect who was also in attendance for that all-important recruiting event - Simeon Caldwell.
Photograph by Christian Schultz (@schultz.media)
Simeon Caldwell is a four-star LB/S out of Jacksonville, Florida who in addition to Notre Dame, has received major interest from some of the big names in college football such as Ohio State and Georgia. The 2026 standout visited South Bend on multiple occasions last season, and Junior Day was the latest attempt for the Fighting Irish to get him more comfortable with the coaching staff, especially amid some ongoing changes on the defensive side of the ball. He is a very versatile player, and the film matches the hype. I want to go through some of the critical factors and position-specific traits that make him special, and as always they will be graded on a scale of 1 (Poor) to 7 (Elite). Let's get into it!
Athletic Ability: Very Good (6)
Caldwell possesses very good acceleration and closing speed. He is a sideline to sideline player and can cover ground in a hurry from the backside of plays, which allows him to always be around the ball. He displays the type of movement skills and open-field awareness that make him a threat to take turnovers to the house. His athletic ability has also been on display on special teams. His ability to bend and flatten has led to him blocking multiple kicks, and he also returned a blocked kick for a touchdown. Although not generally lined up as a deep kick returner, Caldwell has been the recipient of some squib kicks as an up-man and has turned them into chunk plays. He also fits well on coverage units due to his speed and big-hit ability.
Run Support: Elite (7)
Caldwell is very comfortable playing up near the line of scrimmage. His mental processing is very good and he's able to key run plays quickly post snap. Caldwell does an excellent job of maintaining his leverage vs outside runs like jet sweeps and tosses, forcing the play back inside when he isn't making the tackle himself. He has good play strength and can stack and shed WRs and TEs at the point of attack when fitting the run. He consistently shows good pursuit, chasing down plays going away from him. My favorite thing about this part of his game is his ability to break down in space and be a sure tackler. Caldwell keeps his eyes up and runs through ball carriers. Whether Notre Dame plans on using him as a linebacker or a safety, he will be an asset when it comes to stopping the run.
Coverage Ability: Good (5)
This trait can easily be higher come the end of his senior year, but as of now, I just didn't see enough reps of him playing from a deep zone to be able to grade it as elite. What I did see was someone who possesses some good route recognition, and knows when to attach to a WR crossing his face. Caldwell shows enough coverage ability to be lined up in man in condensed areas like the red zone and has the ball skills to disrupt catches. He reads the QBs eyes in zone coverage and is never out of position. He is fluid in his drop and knows when to flip his hips and go. Caldwell also possesses the ability to turn overthrows into interceptions. This will be an area to watch, because if he can put more positive coverage reps on film, it will boost his stock greatly.
Pass Rush/ Blitz: Good (5)
Whether coming down into the box as a blitzing safety, or lining up as an outside linebacker, Caldwell's ability to rush the QB is an area of strength. He shows very good timing off the snap, which allows him to utilize his speed and blow by offensive tackles. He avoids chip blocks and takes a good angle to the QB consistently. Once he gets home, he wraps up and knows how to finish.
Another day, another big time defensive recruit squarely on Notre Dame's radar. They continue to do an excellent job reloading, and not allowing positions of strength to take a step back talent-wise. Simeon Caldwell would be an excellent addition to help keep that element going and will be a big catch for whatever program lands him. Already a Top-5 2026 LB, I look forward to revisiting his senior film next season and seeing what areas of his game have improved even more.
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