Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MARCH 2026 49 2026 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE physically, emotionally, spiritually. All of it. Bible study was just the thing. One Sunday with Kitchen turned into every Sunday with a contingent of oth- ers from the Charlotte-area community, a movement spearheaded by a pastor's son Davis had gotten to know well while growing up. The group's motto became "bring a friend." Ten believers turned into 20 and 40 and so on. Davis recalls such intense worship assemblies that the floor of his friend's house would shake. "Eventually there was 100 people showing up to his house," he said. The number is around 500 now, Davis estimated. The gatherings have moved to a larger warehouse-type space. But they still occur every Sunday evening. Davis is leaving that behind to pursue his athletic and academic career, but he's relocating to a place where it won't be difficult to find folks just like him who put religion at the forefront of daily life — people who can't live without it. That's not necessarily found en masse at the other schools he could have cho- sen, like his father's alma mater, Geor- gia. Sure, it's still big there. But it's one of many things. At Notre Dame, it's the main thing. After all, it is God, Country, Notre Dame. CREATING HIS OWN LEGACY On the topic of Davis' dad. Remember one of the first things Davis mentioned about Notre Dame as it related to why he'd pick the Irish over all of his other options? Notre Dame puts players in the NFL. Thomas Davis Sr. knows a thing or two about the league. The elder Davis spent 16 seasons in the NFL from 2005 through 2020. He made it to the Super Bowl with the Car- olina Panthers in the 2015 season, the same year he was a first-team All-Pro. He was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year the year before that. That's right around the time Davis was becoming cognizant of his dad's accomplishments. In the decade-plus since then, he's wanted to emulate his father. Follow in his footsteps. There- fore, every decision Davis makes is with wanting to make pops proud in mind. There aren't too many moments a parent could possibly be prouder of than when a child is accepted to a pro- gram as prestigious as Notre Dame. As well versed in what it takes to get to the highest level as the elder Davis is, he knows what a successful college career in South Bend can be parlayed into. The Irish have multiple linebackers from recent rosters currently in the NFL, from JD Bertrand to Marist Liufau to Jack Kiser. There are multiple players on the 2026 Notre Dame roster who could soon say the same, like Jaylen Sneed, Drayk Bowen and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa. And Thomas Davis Jr., perhaps? That's always been the end goal. Notre Dame can help get him there. "The biggest thing with TJ is he ob- viously appreciates where he comes from and who his dad is, but he wants to create his own path," Weddington coach Andy Capone told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "He's always been about TJ creating his own path and not using his dad's name or who his dad is to get whatever he wants. ... He wants to cre- ate his own legacy." ✦ As a senior, Davis recorded 63 stops, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception and 14 passes broken up. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS THOMAS DAVIS JR. LINEBACKER 6-2 · 215 WEDDINGTON H.S. WEDDINGTON, N.C. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE Industry ✪✪✪✪ 298 18 14 ✪✪✪ — 51 23 ✪✪✪✪ — 21 14 ✪✪✪✪ 168 15 9 STATISTICS • Totaled 248 stops, 28 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 29 quarterback hurries, 6 interceptions, 39 passes broken up, 3 fumble recoveries and 1 forced fum- ble during his 57 career high school games. • Recorded 63 tackles with 4.5 stops for loss, 1 sack, 10 quarterback hurries, 1 interception and 14 passes broken up as a senior. • Had 92 stops and 13.5 tackles for loss during his 16-game sophomore season, leading Wedding- ton to a North Carolina 4A state championship. NOTABLE • Was a 2023 MaxPreps High School Football Sophomore first-team All-America selection. • Earned second-team all-state honors in 2024. • Tabbed as a Charlotte Touchdown Club Leader- ship Award recipient. • His father, Thomas Davis Sr., played 16 seasons in the NFL with the Panthers, Chargers and Com- manders, and won the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2014. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on Nov. 12, 2024. • Enrolled in January. • Picked the Irish over Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Southern Cal and others. • Recruited by former Irish linebackers coach Max Bullough. • Visited Notre Dame nine times, including his official visit on June 12, 2025. 2026 PROJECTION • Davis is likely to redshirt as a true freshman. THEY SAID IT Rivals director of scouting and rankings Charles Power: "He's an instinctive, heady linebacker. He sees plays quickly, triggers downhill and has showed good physicality. He's going to come into college with a level of understanding that will be advanced relative to his peers. "He fits their profile, given that Notre Dame has a ton of NFL legacies on their team. He fits the type of player they go after, and he's from Charlotte, an area they recruit well. Davis has been a really good player on a top high school defense." Prep Football Report recruiting analyst Tom Lemming: "Thomas shows an explosive first step and is blessed with flexible hips and strong hands, and shows the quickness and agility which allows him to beat the block on almost every snap. "He uses his long arms, strong hands, and explo- sive speed as a pass rusher. Davis shows no hesita- tion when the ball is snapped, is known for his hard-hitting style of play and overall athletic ability."