Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM PRESEASON 2025 53 have opportunities like learning from Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter and current Minnesota Vi- kings wide receiver Justin Jefferson dur- ing their summer trip to Eden Prairie. Kaydon Finley was too young to know who Carter was before he met him. "I learned a lot of things from him," Finley said. "He's a great mentor. He's a great coach. I actually didn't know who he was before I went there. But once I got there, I knew. They showed me a little bit on the sidelines. It was good learning from him." Jefferson, a Pro Bowl selection in four of his first five seasons in the NFL, was easily recognizable for Finley. Learn- ing from one of the top receivers in the game right now made a lasting impact on him. "It was crazy," Finley said. "He runs his routes crazy smooth. It was good to see him doing the same stuff as us and learning from him. I saw how he takes criticism on his routes and fixes it. His elusiveness on the routes, his in-and- out-breaking cuts are pretty smooth. Learning from him was great." According to Fitzgerald, his father prefers to be more hands off when he attends his son's training sessions. He will provide pointers if asked, but he surrounds his son with plenty of knowl- edgeable coaches and trainers to guide him. Perhaps unfortunately, the younger Finley was well aware of the elder Fitzgerald's NFL career. That's because he was a big part of a season-ending loss for Jermichael Finley's Packers team in the 2016 NFL playoffs. The elder Fitzgerald ended the game on the opening drive of overtime with a 75-yard reception that set up a 5-yard touchdown catch in a 26-20 victory in the divisional round. "He made me cry," Kaydon Finley said of that game. "Before I met him, I didn't really like him, but Larry's a pretty cool dude." BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS THAT LAST All three players are preparing for their final seasons of high school foot- ball. They all have plenty of motivation for improvement in 2025. Fitzgerald's Brophy Prep team is com- ing off a state semifinal loss that ended the 2024 season. Finley's Aledo (Texas) High team broke its two-year streak of state championships with a loss in the quarterfinals last season. Grubbs led his Lake Mary (Fla.) High team to a state finals appearance, but it couldn't keep pace in the title game. The training they did together this summer can help them this fall, even if there were more long-term benefits to it. "It was important for me to make the trip to Minnesota because it gave me the opportunity to grow both on and off the field," Grubbs said. "Training and working out in person with these guys allowed me to compete, learn, and sharpen my skills in a new environment. But just as importantly, it gave me the chance to start building chemistry and trust with future teammates — some- thing you can't fully do over a screen." Notre Dame's 2026 recruiting class is already a tight-knit group. The bonds the recruits formed on their official vis- its in June have been frequently cited as reasons to support their commitment decisions. That will continue this fall when the future Irish players return to campus to attend games. Fitzgerald, Finley and Grubbs all hope to be at Notre Dame for its home games against Texas A&M Sept. 13 and South- ern Cal Oct. 18. But they'll certainly have plenty of contact with each other before meeting in person again. The re- lationships they've formed are inten- tional and as long-lasting as the memo- ries from the Fitzgerald lake house. "I love those guys," Finley said. "Those are some of my best friends. Obviously, there's a lot more other guys that I'm close with in the class, but just getting with them was definitely spe- cial. "We stayed up all night talking and having fun. We went on the lake a cou- ple times together. Then we'd go out there and practice ball on the field, go in the weight room. All that stuff. "It's just getting comfortable with the guys we're going to be around and make our bond stronger so that our connec- tion on the field is way better." ✦ Quarterback Noah Grubbs impressed his future teammates with his skill in football, golf, ping- pong and pool. PHOTO BY KYLE KELLY Wide receiver Kaydon Finley enjoyed learning from NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter and cur- rent Minnesota Vikings pass catching great Justin Jefferson on his visit to the Fitzgerald lake house. PHOTO BY KYLE KELLY