Elite 4-Star DB Announces Three College Football Powerhouses as Finalists

Mount Carmel four-star Tavares Harrington narrows recruitment to Notre Dame, Michigan and Alabama before May 22 reveal.

Mount Carmel (IL) four-star cornerback Tavares Harrington has reduced his list to three college football programs. | @TavaresHarr/X

Mount Carmel defensive back Tavares Harrington has officially trimmed his recruitment to three programs ahead of a May 22 commitment announcement, with Notre Dame, Michigan and Alabama making the final cut.

Auburn and Ole Miss, both finalists from his previous top five released earlier this month, were left off the shortlist. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound four-star is ranked as the No. 124 prospect nationally and the No. 8 safety in the 2027 class per the Rivals Industry Ranking.

Harrington told Rivals national recruiting director Steve Wiltfong his choice comes down to one thing. "Just relationships with the coaches," Harrington said. "I feel like those places are where I'm really wanted and fit at."

Notre Dame recruiting pitch and 2027 class fit

The Fighting Irish have held steady momentum throughout the spring, with Marcus Freeman's staff making South Bend feel like a natural landing spot for the Chicago product.

Harrington pointed to defensive backs coach Aaron Henry, who recruited him while at Illinois, and the return of Jevaughn Codlin as major factors.

4-star DB Tavares Harrington is down to three schools, and one is trending, @SWiltfong_ reports👀

“Just relationships with the coaches. I feel like those places are where I’m really wanted and fit at.”

Read: https://t.co/VH3u7zKSYK pic.twitter.com/7Yui4X8a6U

— Rivals (@Rivals) May 12, 2026

"Coach J-Cod is my guy, we've been at it for awhile," Harrington said. "Coach Henry came up for a home visit. We have a great relationship and I'm able to trust him. Coach Freeman is one of the great coaches."

Notre Dame already holds three 2027 defensive back pledges in Xavier Hasan, Ace Alston and John Gay. Coming off a controversial CFP snub at 10-2 in 2025, Freeman recently signed a restructured extension reportedly worth $54 million through 2031, which removes a major source of uncertainty for the staff and prospects.

Michigan trending with Jay Hill making waves

The Wolverines are the program trending hardest, with Wiltfong, Allen Trieu and Greg Smith all logging predictions for Michigan on the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine.

First-year head coach Kyle Whittingham hired defensive coordinator Jay Hill away from BYU in January, and Hill's resume is doing real work on the trail. BYU finished 12-2 in 2025 with 17 interceptions, the seventh-most in the FBS, while ranking No. 19 nationally in scoring defense at 19.1 points per game.

Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham and the Wolverines are among the three finalists for Harrington's services. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Coach (Tyler) Stockton and Coach (Jay) Hill," Harrington said. "Coach Hill he's a great DC and he got to show it last year with BYU."

The pipeline argument is the closer for Harrington. "Coaches trust Michigan players," he emphasized. "They get drafted all the time and produce in the league."

Alabama still in the mix as SEC option

Kalen DeBoer's Crimson Tide remain the steady out-of-region pull, and Harrington's relationship with Alabama 2026 five-star safety Jireh Edwards has deepened the tie.

The 2027 class in Tuscaloosa has been slow to build after decommitments from Jabarrius Garror and Nash Johnson, sitting at four pledges including five-star quarterback Elijah Haven. Landing Harrington would inject real juice into the secondary haul behind one of the nation's top 2026 DB classes headlined by Edwards.

"It's Alabama. One of the biggest SEC programs," Harrington said. "Every player from Chicago should want to play for an SEC program. They produce DBs. I think it's DB University."

Harrington will announce his college decision live on May 22.