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Notre Dame football set to get the final crack at priority defender in the 2026 recruiting class ahead of his final decision

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Ryan Roberts | Last updated Feb 23, 2025 3:41 PM ET

Notre Dame has recruited the linebacker position at an all-time level under head coach Marcus Freeman. The roster is now littered with impressive second level defenders, including Drayk Bowen, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Jaiden Ausberry, and Jaylen Sneed among others.

The 2026 recruiting class is also off to a fast start with Thomas Davis Jr., who committed to the program back in November. That momentum should continue with the 2026 class with the Irish trending with several other players. That includes Port Arthur (Texas) Memorial star linebacker Tank King.

It was announced on Saturday that King has finalized three official visits for the offseason, which included Notre Dame. The Texas star will be heading to Texas A&M on June 6-8, Texas on June 13-15, and Notre Dame on June 20-22. King is eyeing a summer decision, and that means that the Irish staff could have the deciding visit heading into that decision.

NEWS 4-star LB Tank King has locked in official visits to Texas A&M, Texas and Notre Dame, he tells @ChadSimmons_✈️

Read: https://t.co/y1UYGQ7m9e pic.twitter.com/b5B834ZP9P
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) February 22, 2025

Notre Dame is viewed as the team to beat as things currently stand.

King has a long list of impressive suitors. Some of his top offers included the Fighting Irish, Alabama, Texas, Michigan, Oklahoma, Florida, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Nebraska, Penn State, TCU, Missouri, Arkansas, Arizona State, Washington, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Baylor, SMU, Arizona, UCF, and Houston among others.

Aside from the odd three-star ranking from 247Sports, King is considered a four-star player by every other major recruiting platform. King ranks as the No. 174 overall player and No. 12 linebacker in the 2026 recruiting class on the 247Sports Composite ranking. He also sits as the No. 21 overall player in the talent-rich state of Texas.

The 6-2, 205-pound linebacker has been a stellar performer for Port Arthur Memorial the last couple of seasons. That includes during his sophomore season where he really burst onto the scene. King ended that campaign with 138 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss, eight sacks, and eight pass breakups.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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