Notre Dame football looking to invade talent hotbed for one of the most dynamic playmakers in the 2026 recruiting class
Way before Ja’Juan Seider came to coach running backs at Notre Dame from Penn State, Forney (Texas) High School star Javian Osborne was a priority for the Fighting Irish staff. Things had been in a good place between Osborne and Notre Dame with Deland McCullough, but that relationship had to be rebuilt. It appears that […]
Way before Ja’Juan Seider came to coach running backs at Notre Dame from Penn State, Forney (Texas) High School star Javian Osborne was a priority for the Fighting Irish staff. Things had been in a good place between Osborne and Notre Dame with Deland McCullough, but that relationship had to be rebuilt.
It appears that Coach Seider has done a very good job doing so so far. It was announced on Friday that Osborne was originally returning to South Bend on a spring visit on March 18-20. The Texas standout will also be checking out Georgia (March 14-16), Florida State (March 21-23), Michigan (March 28-30), Miami (April 4-6), and USC (April 22-24).
While the Irish aren’t considered the favorite right now, this is a huge opportunity for Coach Seider to make his mark on the recruitment. We will now a lot more about where Notre Dame stands following his return trip.
From a rankings perspective, Osborne is considered one of the very best running backs in the 2026 recruiting class. On the 247Sports Composite ranking, Osborne is ranked as the No. 83 overall player, No. 6 running back, and No. 11 player in the state of Texas in the class. The Lone Star state has obviously had a long history of developing top talent for the next level.
Some of the top programs in all of college football have been pursuing Osborne for some time now. Some of his top offers include the Fighting Irish, Georgia, Ohio State, Texas, Alabama, Michigan, Oregon, Oklahoma, Miami, USC, Texas A&M, Florida, Penn State, Florida State, and Ole Miss among many others.
As a junior, Osborne put together another tremendous season for Forney. In nine games played, he rushed for 1,085 yards and 21 touchdowns while averaging seven yards per carry. The 5-11, 195-pound runner also hauled in nine receptions for 168 yards and three more scores as a pass receiver.
Notre Dame football offensive intel heading into spring practice and what the Irish staff is hoping to see, and looking to find clarity on
Notre Dame offensive intel heading into spring practice.
