Most fans expect a massive defensive tackle or a flashy wide receiver to kick off a new recruiting class. Notre Dame did the exact opposite for its 2028 group. The first commit was a kicker named Owen Davies from Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy. He signed on June 10, 2026, making him the very first player to join the Irish for that cycle. This move marks the second straight year the team started with a specialist. Last year, long snapper Sean Kraft was the first name on the board.
The First Commitment
Davies stands 6-0 and weighs 190 pounds. Kohl’s Kicking ranks him as the No. 2 kicker in the entire 2028 class. He had a choice between Notre Dame and Tennessee. He picked the Fighting Irish without any real hesitation. “It wasn’t even a question for me,” Davies told Blue & Gold about his decision. Last fall he toured six institutions, with additional visits occurring during the spring season. The second time he stepped on campus, he knew he was home.
He said the trip felt different from the others. “I knew from the first second I stepped foot at Notre Dame that it was different and where I wanted to be,” he said. The coaching staff impressed him right away. He liked how they run the program and how they treat players. The decision came down to the complete environment they offered.
Life After the Gridiron
The biggest surprise is why he chose the school. Davies said it was the first school to get him thinking about life after football. He really got along with Coach Marty Biagi. He likes how Biagi runs his specialist room. That focus on the future won him over.
Soccer was his first love for years. He played it as a young boy and kept it up through his youth. He only started kicking a football in middle school. The majority of his focus stayed on the soccer pitch until his freshman year. That changed in December when he did well at a professional camp. “I started thinking about shifting my focus toward football because it would be better for the long term,” he said. He ceased playing soccer while a sophomore to devote his entire focus to football.
A Low-Pressure Camp
Davies earned his offer after a camp on June 2. He went to watch a spring practice on April 11. He came back two weeks later for the Blue-Gold Game. His third trip was for the camp where he got the scholarship. He did not feel stressed going into the event. “It felt more like a practice,” Davies answered when asked about the pressure. Coach Biagi made it clear they had already seen everything they wanted from him.
The camp was mostly about working with Sean Kraft. “It was more of a practice to get with Sean Kraft, the long snapper commit, and get work with him,” Davies said. It wasn’t high pressure, but it was still a little bit of one since it was the first time they saw him kick in person. He came in confident after a strong workout a couple of days prior. He clearly did well and earned the offer that evening.
The rest of the class is shaping up fast too. Darieon Prescott from Bolingbrook (Ill.) High committed on July 27, 2026. He is a 6-4, 255-pound EDGE ranked No. 23 nationally. He picked Notre Dame over Oregon and Texas A&M. Then Andre Jones from St. Thomas Aquinas joined on June 22, 2026. He is the younger brother of former Irish receiver Julius Jones Jr. The Irish faithful saw a surprise second commitment right after the first brother signed. The class is already looking strong with these early picks.
