The apple does not fall far from the tree when it comes to 2026 Notre Dame commit Thomas Davis Jr. His father, Thomas Davis Sr., is a former All-Pro linebacker who played 16 years in the NFL. Davis Jr. has a long way to go before reaching those heights, but he certainly displays a skillset that positions him to have a similar future. Davis Jr. committed to Notre Dame in November after fielding offers from many of the top schools in the country. The Irish just keep building on a successful recruiting run, and this latest addition has a lot of things to like about his game. Here is what I saw when I watched the film.
Photo via Thomas Davis Jr., Instagram (@
As always, the criteria for evaluation will be graded on a scale of 1 (Poor) to 7 (Elite). Let's get into it!
Athletic Ability: Very Good (6)
Davis Jr. can close on the ball in a hurry. When he is trusting his eyes, he plays extremely fast and explosive. He displays the lateral quickness to be able to chase down outside runs when playing from an off the ball linebacker position. He has also been used as a safety, which speaks to how well he moves as 200+ pound player. Although he may not have as much straight line speed as someone like Notre Dame great Jaylon Smith, he has plenty of quickness to stay in on all three downs and be effective in passing situations.
Run Stopping: Good (5)
BIG HITTER! Davis Jr. plays with controlled aggression, which is what you want from the linebacker position. He is a sure tackler who knows how to work through traffic on inside runs, and is also strong enough to set the edge. He handles chips from tight ends without losing leverage when playing from a 2-point stance, and disengages at the proper time. Will be a TFL machine at the next level.
Coverage Skills: Good (5)
As mentioned above, Davis Jr. has also taken snaps from the safety spots in critical situations, which speaks to his ability to process things quickly. He is very capable as a zone defender, keying on the QB's eyes without overplaying certain routes which allows him to put his foot in the dirt and drive on anything in his area. His big hit ability allows him to separate the receiver from the ball. He also has the skills to cover tight ends and running backs in man coverage, but will need to learn play with different eye discipline than he does in zone. Because he is so aggressive in attacking ball carriers, He will need to make sure he does not get drawn in on play-action passes. He has good enough ball skills to turn errant passes into interceptions, and If he can become a little more polished all around in coverage, he will not be leaving the field very much.
Blitz Ability: Good (5)
I did not see a whole lot of blitz reps from Davis Jr. on film, but the ones that I did, he showed a natural ability to get to the quarterback off pure athleticism. He has good timing off the snap of the ball, and is also a smart enough player to realize when he will not make it all the way home to the QB, and gets his hands up in passing lanes which led to multiple pass knock downs on film. His combination of length, strength, and explosiveness will result in a tough match up for any inline tight ends or pass blocking running backs looking to stop him. He will need to develop some actual pass rush moves to consistently win vs tackles when lined up on the edge, but that will come with more coaching and development.
In my opinion, Notre Dame looks like they have hit another defensive homerun with the recruitment of Thomas Davis Jr. Knowing Marcus Freeman's willingness to play Freshman when they display the necessary attributes, it would not be surprising to me if Davis Jr. saw the field early in his career. He is big, fast, and will bring a physical presence every time his number is called.
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