Elite WR recruit explains why he chose Notre Dame over Texas

There were a ton of reasons for four-star wide receiver Kaydon Finley to commit his football future to the Texas Longhorns.

From Aledo, Texas, just outside of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the Longhorns would have given Finley a chance to stay in-state. The 247Sports Composite ranks Finley as the No. 15 player from the state, so he was absolutely a priority recruit for Steve Sarkisian and his staff.

Texas also gave Finley a chance to follow in his father's footsteps and build on the Finley legacy in Austin. His father, Jermichael Finley, was a part of Texas's 2005 BCS National Championship team. In two seasons at Texas, he caught 76 passes for 947 yards and five touchdowns while also rushing for a touchdown. Finley averaged 12.5 yards per catch at Texas and was selected in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers.

So the chance to build that legacy was there, but the younger Finley always felt a connection to Notre Dame. He had taken the trip from Texas to South Bend multiple times since his eighth-grade year of football, and Notre Dame wideouts coach Mike Brown recruited him harder than anyone else. Head coach Marcus Freeman also developed a strong relationship with the rising senior wideout.

Perhaps that's why, when decision time came, the Fighting Irish beat out the Longhorns for Kaydon Finley's commitment. A bond had been formed, and it was too tough to break.

“I always had a feeling it would be Notre Dame,” Kaydon Finley said, via Sam Spiegelman of Rivals. “The Notre Dame visits blew us out of the water. They have an amazing culture. I have amazing relationships with the staff there. Coach Freeman is a hands-on players coach, and I’m a big relationships guy, so my recruitment … I took all to heart and felt all the love from the guys at Notre Dame, the coaches there, and the guys committed.”

For Kaydon Finley, the decision to commit to Notre Dame was more than pragmatic. There was something divine about it. That's fitting for a player about to join perhaps the most famous Catholic institution in the world outside of the Vatican.

That made it easy to spurn Texas, though Kaydon Finley did throw some respect the Longhorns' way when it was all said and done.

“God led me to Notre Dame to compete under Coach Freeman. His plan for me is greater than my own and I can’t wait to see what the future holds,” Kaydon Finley posted on Instagram. “I have the utmost respect for Coach Sarkisian and his staff. UT has always been a special place for me and my family. … With guys like Arch Manning and Dia Bell leading the way, Texas is set up for big success and I wish them nothing but the best.”