Louisville football has been experiencing a massive recruiting surge in July so far, but the Cardinals received some devastating news on Friday night as one of the biggest names to visit, Jeff Brohm, committed to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
The Cardinals landed 4-star Jarvis Strickland and then 3-star tight end Julius Miles so far just this weekend. Brohm's 2026 class is emerging as one of the top recruiting classes in the nation, especially on the offensive side, as Strickland will join 4-star quarterback Briggs Cherry and 4-star running back Evan Hampton.
However, despite the Cardinals' 2026 class having elite offensive commitments, 4-star wide receiver Kaydon Finley ultimately committed to Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame, despite visiting Louisville a couple of months prior.
Related: Louisville football rolls out red carpet for multiple 4-star prospects
Notre Dame locks down elite 4-star WR target despite recent Louisville visit
The Cardinals rolled out the red carpet for multiple 4-star recruits back in March for a massive recruiting weekend, and Finley was Brohm's glaring No. 1 target that weekend.
BREAKING: Four-Star WR Kaydon Finley has Committed to Notre Dame, he tells me for @rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 5, 2025
The 6’2 200 WR from Aledo, TX chose the Fighting Irish over Texas, Texas A&M, and Arizona State
“Let’s bring a NATTY home IRISH nation ☘️”https://t.co/dYb2qobsEH pic.twitter.com/1AnOy9O1th
Finley is a consensus 4-star recruit who is ranked as high as No. 93 in the nation and the No. 13 wide receiver in the 2026 cycle. It was mainly a two-way battle for Finley between Texas and Notre Dame, and while Louisville had a long shot for the 4-star receiver, the Cardinals fans made sure to keep an eye on him.
Finley would have been a massive addition to Brohm's 2026 class, as he would have been Louisville's seventh-largest commit in program history, according to 247Sports. The duo of Cherry and Finley would have been a dynamic pair that would have dominated the ACC, but now that Finley committed to the Irish, Deion Branch must go and try to find another wide receiver.
Related: Louisville football's QB commit earns huge award over Faizon Brandon, Dia Bell, more
For all the latest on Louisville football's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.