Notre Dame Commit Profile: Wide Receiver Kaydon Finley

Notre Dame picked up a major commitment when elite wide receiver Kaydon Finley pledged to the Fighting Irish. It was a long battle to land Finley but Notre Dame got the job done. 

Here is the recruiting profile for Finley:

KAYDON FINLEY PROFILE

Hometown/High School: Aledo, Texas/Aledo

Height/Weight: 6-1, 200

IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 100 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.5 (Top 75 caliber prospect)

2024 Stats: 81 catches, 1,432 yards, 17.7 YPC, 21 TD

Player Comp: Rome Odunze, Washington

Recruited By: Mike Brown

Offers: Notre Dame, Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, Florida State, Miami (Fla.), Florida, Penn State, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Auburn, Ole Miss, Missouri, Louisville, TCU, UCLA, Arkansas, Arizona State, Oklahoma State, Baylor, Colorado, Stanford, California

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RECRUITING RANKINGS

Rivals: 4-star - No. 93 overall - No. 13 WR
ESPN: 4-star - No. 114 overall - No. 18 WR
On3: 4-star - No. 120 overall - No. 14 WR
247Sports: 4-star - No. 216 overall - No. 33 WR
247Sports Composite: 4-star - No. 110 overall - No. 14 WR
On3 Consensus: 4-star - No. 120 overall - No. 14 WR

NOTRE DAME FIT

Notre Dame has three distinct receiver positions, with the boundary (X), field (Z) and slot positions. Notre Dame needed a player who could play the boundary in the 2026 class and Finley certainly has that ability. He has enough size to do it and his ball skills can thrive there as well. Finley also projects well to the slot position, where his game would translate there in a way very similar to Jaden Greathouse. His best position - in my opinion - is the field (Z) spot, where he can use his size to make plays on the perimeter, he can work the middle of the field and he has enough speed to stretch the field. It's a challenging position, but Finley can thrive in that role. The fact Finley projects to perform well at all three spots makes landing Finley even more important.

FILM ANALYSIS

Finley is listed at 6-1 and at 200 pounds, but during visits this spring he looked to have grown at least an inch and appears around 6-2. His father - former Texas and Green Bay Packer tight end Jermichael Finley - is almost 6-5, so it's not a surprise to see Finley still growing. He's also a strong athlete with the kind of frame that should allow him to put on at least 10-15 more pounds of good muscle while adding more power and explosiveness. Finley also shows good arm length, which combines with his body control to give him the kind of top notch catch radius that you want in a player that can dominate on contested catches and thrive on the outside.

The Aledo standout is an outstanding all-around athlete. He shows good long speed, but what I like about his game is that he comes off the line with urgency and gets to full speed in a hurry. He's a smooth athlete that shows impressive balance and agility. Those traits help him thrive as a route runner and are also what help him make plays after the catch. He's not a super shaky player, but his quickness and lower body strength allow him to be effective after the catch. Finley doesn't have the kind of speed where you're going to use him to mimic what Will Fuller did at Notre Dame, but he has the length, ball skills and overall athletic skillset to still be a weapon down the field.

Finley has the size and athleticism you look for, but his all-around game is what truly separates him from a lot of other receivers. On top of being physically gifted, Finley also shows himself to be a very smart and instinctive wide receiver. He plays with excellent urgency off the line yet shows patience as a route runner when needed, especially when he identifies zone coverage. He understands how to manipulate his speed to win as a route runner, and his understanding of proper angles coming out of breaks to create separation is top notch. Finley also attacks the football extremely well, has excellent body control as a pass catcher and he has all the tools needed to be an effective contested catch player.

When evaluating a young receiver the primary traits you want to see are physical and mental. You want a player with the size and/or athletic traits to thrive. It's nice to have a player who shows technical prowess but that is something can be taught. It's also nice to have a player who has proven production at the high school level, but that is also not a requirement. What makes Finley such a high floor player is his physical tools are obvious, he is a smart and heady football player, he already shows a great feel for how to play the game and he had a dominant junior season by hauling in 81 passes for 1,432 yards and 21 touchdowns. He heads into his senior season as the total package, making it easy to see why Notre Dame has made him such a priority for so long.