Latest Intel on Kaydon Finley, Kohen Brown, and Brayden Robinson as Notre Dame enters a make or break month for WR recruiting

We don’t have to rehash all of the troubles surrounding Notre Dame wide receiver recruiting recently. Most are willing to admit that it hasn’t been good enough, especially in the 2025 recruiting class. Wide receiver coach Mike Brown has gotten a small pass for it, and the 2026 class has now become very important. 

Considered a good technical coach, the jury is still out on Brown when it comes to recruiting. The 2026 class is off to a solid start with commitments from Bubba Frazier and Dylan Faison, but there are some very important targets on the board. Coach Brown must show that he has the ability to close. 

Of the top targets on the board, none is more important to me than Aledo (Texas) High School pass catcher Kaydon Finley. The 6-0, 200-pound wideout is highly ranked, highly valued, and ultra productive (81 receptions for 1,432 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2024) in a strong classification of football. Finley checks a lot of boxes. 

At certain points in this recruiting process, I have felt like Notre Dame was the leader for the talented wideout, but I’m feeling less optimistic about that these days. Finley’s father Jermichael was an outstanding football player for the Texas Longhorns, and that pull from the program resonates strong. Texas A&M is also involved but this is a Notre Dame-Texas battle at the core. 

This month, including an unofficial and an official on June 13-15, will determine if the Fighting Irish get the nod on July 4, or if they have indeed faded to second. 

The wide receiver I feel best about ending up with Notre Dame in this class right now is Waxahachie (Texas) High School star Kohen Brown. In recruiting, it’s best to follow the actions. When Brown was offered by Notre Dame a few weeks ago, he quickly opted to decommit from USC. He then set up an official visit to South Bend for June 13-15. 

Coincidence? I think not. 

The Irish staff will have to hold off the likes of Texas and Ole Miss this month, but I like their chances. Brown already has a high opinion of Notre Dame, as well as a personal relationship with running back commit Javian Osborne. There’s little question to me who is the strong leader right now. 

After Finley and Brown, the top targets on the board, Red Oak (Texas) wide receiver Brayden Robinson is a player that has been on the board for some time now. The 5-8, 165-pound athlete is a dynamic space player who is perfect for the modern game. If you like speed and explosiveness, then you’ll love Robinson. 

Heading toward a July 20 commitment date, this is a Notre Dame-Miami battle with Arizona running third. The Irish have a strong chance, but I do think the Hurricanes have a slight lead at the moment. Robinson has his official visit for South Bend on July 13-15, and it’ll be huge to try and close. 

Notre Dame has also expanded the board over the last few weeks, including with Vero Beach (Fla.) High School athlete Efrem White, who was previously committed to Florida State. He hasn’t yet solidified an official visit to South Bend, but he is currently on an unofficial trip. It’ll be interesting to see how things heat up with the 6-1, 150-pound talent who can play wide receiver or cornerback on the next level. 

Notre Dame is also currently hosting Rosharon (Texas) Iowa Colony star Jayden Warren, who has run the 100-meter dash in 10.16 seconds in the past. They just recently offered Warren, and I have no idea why it took so long considering the team’s need for speed. The timing doesn’t make me optimistic for head coach Marcus Freeman and the Irish staff to close on this one. 

Clearly there was enough interest from both White and Warren to make the quick trips. How well the visits go this week will determine if Notre Dame can get each back for an official visit, and close in the end. 

With two commitments currently in the class, Notre Dame will take at least two more wide receivers in the 2026 group. There’s a chance they could push to five if the right group wanted to come. You need to close on Finley and Brown, and from there, you could potentially get very selective if you choose to.