‘27 FL LB Kaden Henderson (Offer)

[IRISHbluehen]

Yup, but let's continue to pretend we are offering enough money to sign the top players.

I mean I don't really know what you need to see at this point to realize this is illogical. ND's roster's will be over 40 million this year. They just paid 2 OSU WRs to transfer, both certainly over 7 figures. They signed a top 3 class last year. How do you think they signed them?

 

[GoldenAura]

Yup, but let's continue to pretend we are offering enough money to sign the top players.

You have to be rage baiting at this point. If not, I crown you the new #1 Bedwetter.

 

[JD Irish]

I mean I don't really know what you need to see at this point to realize this is illogical. ND's roster's will be over 40 million this year. They just paid 2 OSU WRs to transfer, both certainly over 7 figures. They signed a top 3 class last year. How do you think they signed them?

I agree with this and another of the above posts. They are referencing the 2026 recruiting/transfer class. ND clearly committed monetarily for the 2026 class. I am not arguing that.

I'm talking about 2027. Something is clearly different. We are losing on top targets left and right. Do you not agree?

 

[RudyVerse]

Mike Frank said on this weeks podcast ND is in the top 8 of spend. Honestly, can’t complain about that. Texas Tech, Oregon, Miami, Texas AM are simply outliers.

 

[IRISHbluehen]

I agree with this and another of the above posts. They are referencing the 2026 recruiting/transfer class. ND clearly committed monetarily for the 2026 class. I am not arguing that.

I'm talking about 2027. Something is clearly different. We are losing on top targets left and right. Do you not agree?

The only true top target that we've missed on is Dollar in my opinion. And while it sucks because I think he'll be awesome, I can understand why they wouldn't throw a huge sum of money at him to commit a year after Premer. Denbrock probably cost us with Dollar as well but I digress.

If missing on Dollar means signing 5 DL instead of 4, sign me all the way up. Not often ND has this level of DT interested and cultural fit.

What other top targets we talking about?

 

[Dale]

I agree with this and another of the above posts. They are referencing the 2026 recruiting/transfer class. ND clearly committed monetarily for the 2026 class. I am not arguing that.

I'm talking about 2027. Something is clearly different. We are losing on top targets left and right. Do you not agree?

I asked this prior and you didn’t respond. Why do the 3 current Top 100 commits not count to you? Why does Gamble not count? Why does the fact that JOB, Premer etc were all in the summer not count? Did missing on Vallejo, Womack, Quinn etc not happen?

 

[EvilleIrish]

You have to be rage baiting at this point. If not, I crown you the new #1 Bedwetter.

excuse me

 

[NDPhilly]

Do people think Jackson Vaughn and Monds, the two #1 2028 players at the 2 most important positions were cheap? lol.

 

[NDLS_USMC]

Yup, but let's continue to pretend we are offering enough money to sign the top players...in every single case.

Edited for accuracy.

 

[JD Irish]

I guess I just don't think top 8 is good enough. We are trying to be the #1 team, national champions, while spending the eighth most, and likely significantly less than Oregon, A&M, etc? It just seems like creating an artificial handicap.

I agree, all things being equal, a top DL target signee is more valuable than a top TE. But we should sign both. This is the point that O'Malley makes all the time that he is 100% right on. Oregon, OSU, etc. are always signing both.

As far as missed targets: Spell, Brown, Driver, Falave-Johnson, Forstall, Jacobs, Sales, and likely Henderson, Dollar, Simien, O'Neill. Not to mention not even offering any top WRs outside of Jones Jr. LB is also a major need in this class without much traction.

I just am not seeing how we get to a point where the 2027 class matches 2026. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[NDPhilly]

We literally freaked out like this last year and then signed a top 5 class and crushed the portal

 

[Dale]

I guess I just don't think top 8 is good enough. We are trying to be the #1 team, national champions, while spending the eighth most, and likely significantly less than Oregon, A&M, etc? It just seems like creating an artificial handicap.

I agree, all things being equal, a top DL target signee is more valuable than a top TE. But we should sign both. This is the point that O'Malley makes all the time that he is 100% right on. Oregon, OSU, etc. are always signing both.

As far as missed targets: Spell, Brown, Driver, Falave-Johnson, Forstall, Jacobs, Sales, and likely Henderson, Dollar, Simien, O'Neill. Not to mention not even offering any top WRs outside of Jones Jr. LB is also a major need in this class without much traction.

I just am not seeing how we get to a point where the 2027 class matches 2026. I hope I'm wrong.

Bro you’re acting like we are gonna land the Top 30 prospects because we offered all of them. We haven’t been actively recruiting some of those guys in months.

And then you throw in O’Neill lol, he may not even have a committable offer. We are slow playing him.

 

[notredomer23]

I just am not seeing how we get to a point where the 2027 class matches 2026. I hope I'm wrong.

ND accomplished something in 2026 that they have never before in the internet era. The closest was 2008's class, but even that wasn't 1) as good, and 2) full of gaps in certain groups. I don't know yet if 2027 will match the 2026 class, but it will probably be pretty close and that's more than okay. Stacking those classes, while also adding a top 10 transfer class is more than sufficient and runs laps around any other 2 year cycle dating back to the early 90s.

 

[TorontoGold]

I guess I just don't think top 8 is good enough. We are trying to be the #1 team, national champions, while spending the eighth most, and likely significantly less than Oregon, A&M, etc? It just seems like creating an artificial handicap.

I agree, all things being equal, a top DL target signee is more valuable than a top TE. But we should sign both. This is the point that O'Malley makes all the time that he is 100% right on. Oregon, OSU, etc. are always signing both.

As far as missed targets: Spell, Brown, Driver, Falave-Johnson, Forstall, Jacobs, Sales, and likely Henderson, Dollar, Simien, O'Neill. Not to mention not even offering any top WRs outside of Jones Jr. LB is also a major need in this class without much traction.

I just am not seeing how we get to a point where the 2027 class matches 2026. I hope I'm wrong.

Do the Yankees sign every big name player they’re in on? Does Bayern get every big transfer they want?

Sometimes other organizations also have a lot of money and offer attractive situations.

 

[arrowryan]

I guess I just don't think top 8 is good enough. We are trying to be the #1 team, national champions, while spending the eighth most, and likely significantly less than Oregon, A&M, etc? It just seems like creating an artificial handicap.

I agree, all things being equal, a top DL target signee is more valuable than a top TE. But we should sign both. This is the point that O'Malley makes all the time that he is 100% right on. Oregon, OSU, etc. are always signing both.

As far as missed targets: Spell, Brown, Driver, Falave-Johnson, Forstall, Jacobs, Sales, and likely Henderson, Dollar, Simien, O'Neill. Not to mention not even offering any top WRs outside of Jones Jr. LB is also a major need in this class without much traction.

I just am not seeing how we get to a point where the 2027 class matches 2026. I hope I'm wrong.

How many championships does A&M and Oregon have to show for all that money they spend? Every time Oregon makes the CFP they get their ass beat, and A&M can’t score in a home CFP game.

No, Notre Dame doesn’t need to become a mercenary. They’re doing a fine job at picking and choosing when they want to be aggressive.

Spending top dollar for a linebacker that’s afraid of the cold weather probably isn’t a smart investment anyway.

 

[Dale]

Schools like A&M have historically had way more attrition than Notre Dame. It really does not matter if you land these guys if they leave right away.

So I personally do not care if Texas A&M has a better on paper recruiting class than ND, because the most likely result is after attrition they are equal or ND is on top.

That is the whole pitch of Freeman as a HC. He’s an elite recruiter but also relationship builder. There is a reason we argue over guys like Joshua Burnham or Rico Flores be our big transfer outs. We are never going to be the school that signs Evan Stewart, Shemar Turner and Walter Nolen only to see 2/3 of them leave.

 

[calvegas04]

Someone set it up... we can't keep shopping down different aisles

Gofundme.com

 

[RudyVerse]

I’ll freak out if June ends and we’re not at ~94 average player ranking in 247.

 

[Irish#1]

Schools like A&M have historically had way more attrition than Notre Dame. It really does not matter if you land these guys if they leave right away.

So I personally do not care if Texas A&M has a better on paper recruiting class than ND, because the most likely result is after attrition they are equal or ND is on top.

That is the whole pitch of Freeman as a HC. He’s an elite recruiter but also relationship builder. There is a reason we argue over guys like Joshua Burnham or Rico Flores be our big transfer outs. We are never going to be the school that signs Evan Stewart, Shemar Turner and Walter Nolen only to see 2/3 of them leave.

This

You can spend the money, but it doesn't guarantee your roster is going work out. 3 or 4 years ago A&M unloaded way more money than anyone else and most of those guys were gone in less than two years. Money spent for nothing. No one should undersell the importance of continuity and culture.

 

[NDhoosier]

I guess I just don't think top 8 is good enough. We are trying to be the #1 team, national champions, while spending the eighth most, and likely significantly less than Oregon, A&M, etc? It just seems like creating an artificial handicap.

I agree, all things being equal, a top DL target signee is more valuable than a top TE. But we should sign both. This is the point that O'Malley makes all the time that he is 100% right on. Oregon, OSU, etc. are always signing both.

As far as missed targets: Spell, Brown, Driver, Falave-Johnson, Forstall, Jacobs, Sales, and likely Henderson, Dollar, Simien, O'Neill. Not to mention not even offering any top WRs outside of Jones Jr. LB is also a major need in this class without much traction.

I just am not seeing how we get to a point where the 2027 class matches 2026. I hope I'm wrong.

Ill just be blunt, you have an unrealistic and/or a naïve view of recruiting.

 

[Rocketman84]

The only true top target that we've missed on is Dollar in my opinion. And while it sucks because I think he'll be awesome, I can understand why they wouldn't throw a huge sum of money at him to commit a year after Premer. Denbrock probably cost us with Dollar as well but I digress.

If missing on Dollar means signing 5 DL instead of 4, sign me all the way up. Not often ND has this level of DT interested and cultural fit.

What other top targets we talking about?

Driver?

 

[allenm5333]

The only true top target that we've missed on is Dollar in my opinion. And while it sucks because I think he'll be awesome, I can understand why they wouldn't throw a huge sum of money at him to commit a year after Premer. Denbrock probably cost us with Dollar as well but I digress.

If missing on Dollar means signing 5 DL instead of 4, sign me all the way up. Not often ND has this level of DT interested and cultural fit.

What other top targets we talking about?

What did Denbrock do?

 

[Rocketman84]

I guess I just don't think top 8 is good enough. We are trying to be the #1 team, national champions, while spending the eighth most, and likely significantly less than Oregon, A&M, etc? It just seems like creating an artificial handicap.

I agree, all things being equal, a top DL target signee is more valuable than a top TE. But we should sign both. This is the point that O'Malley makes all the time that he is 100% right on. Oregon, OSU, etc. are always signing both.

As far as missed targets: Spell, Brown, Driver, Falave-Johnson, Forstall, Jacobs, Sales, and likely Henderson, Dollar, Simien, O'Neill. Not to mention not even offering any top WRs outside of Jones Jr. LB is also a major need in this class without much traction.

I just am not seeing how we get to a point where the 2027 class matches 2026. I hope I'm wrong.

Yea, the biggest fish we offered are those guys and unfortunately 80% won't even bother with serious thought.

 

[Irish Man3]

I guess I just don't think top 8 is good enough. We are trying to be the #1 team, national champions, while spending the eighth most, and likely significantly less than Oregon, A&M, etc? It just seems like creating an artificial handicap.

I agree, all things being equal, a top DL target signee is more valuable than a top TE. But we should sign both. This is the point that O'Malley makes all the time that he is 100% right on. Oregon, OSU, etc. are always signing both.

As far as missed targets: Spell, Brown, Driver, Falave-Johnson, Forstall, Jacobs, Sales, and likely Henderson, Dollar, Simien, O'Neill. Not to mention not even offering any top WRs outside of Jones Jr. LB is also a major need in this class without much traction.

I just am not seeing how we get to a point where the 2027 class matches 2026. I hope I'm wrong.

Spending money and building culture is a balance. Care to take a look at retention numbers rather than just focusing on recruiting wins and losses? What has almost every recruit that’s been on campus for a visit talked about? The culture being build by MF and staff. You can’t build that kind of culture while also buying every prospect.

ND bought Ian Premer last year, why would you turn around and buy Driver or Dollar this year? Position value is a factor as well as looking at recruiting in a two year window. If they didn't land Premer last year, they would’ve landed Dollar or Driver this year. ND is focusing its money elsewhere this year, mainly the DL.

Missed targets….. look at the “missed targets” from last year that resulted in a top five class, there’s plenty of them. When you cast a wide net and shoot for elite players, you’re going to miss a few.

 

[Dale]

O'Malley makes all the time that he is 100% right on. Oregon, OSU, etc. are always signing both.

This is an objectively false statement that takes 2 seconds of research.

OSU took a three star QB, three star TE and only two blue chip offensive lineman, two low three stars were added.

I thought they always do both? They always land top prospects at every position?

 

[JD Irish]

This is an objectively false statement that takes 2 seconds of research.

OSU took a three star QB, three star TE and only two blue chip offensive lineman, two low three stars were added.

I thought they always do both? They always land top prospects at every position?

What exactly is your problem? I have made a fair point which you are taking as some apparently very personal criticism. My only point is that I think it is clear that others are outspending ND. Ohio State signs an elite recruiting class every year. Much better, on average, than ND. I think ND should sign an elite class every year, too. I think ND did in 2026. I don't think ND is so far in 2027. I think this is at least in no small part that ND is getting outbid for the best players, as has been implied for Henderson, Dollar, and Fakatou.

I am done with this argument. I hope our 2027 class is as good as 2026 and that we continue to recruit at an elite level. The returns for 2027 in this point have me skeptical. I hope I turn out to be wrong.

 

[Dale]

What exactly is your problem? I have made a fair point which you are taking as some apparently very personal criticism. My only point is that I think it is clear that others are outspending ND. Ohio State signs an elite recruiting class every year. Much better, on average, than ND. I think ND should sign an elite class every year, too. I think ND did in 2026. I don't think ND is so far in 2027. I think this is at least in no small part that ND is getting outbid for the best players, as has been implied for Henderson, Dollar, and Fakatou.

I am done with this argument. I hope our 2027 class is as good as 2026 and that we continue to recruit at an elite level. The returns for 2027 in this point have me skeptical. I hope I turn out to be wrong.

I think your “fair” points are wrong and I don’t take any personal offense to how bad they were.

Let’s turn the page on being pre-mad that we are in the Top 2 for a stud linebacker, which is the news that spurred this.

 

[NDVirginia19]

Someone set it up... we can't keep shopping down different aisles

Gofundme.com

I’ll pool the money together and send it in one big check…. Dm me for my Venmo

 

[Rocketman84]

This is an objectively false statement that takes 2 seconds of research.

OSU took a three star QB, three star TE and only two blue chip offensive lineman, two low three stars were added.

I thought they always do both? They always land top prospects at every position?

I'm pretty sure he said they always do both referring to DL and TE, which they always do with DL and usually do with TE. They signed Roberts/LeBlanc both 4⭐ at TE in back to back classes and also landed guys in the portal. At DL they crushed it the past two cycles with 2 top 125 guys and a 4⭐ from UNC in the portal in '25. In '26 they signed 5 top 250 DL and 2 former 5⭐ DL from 'Bama.