The “prestige and difference of Notre Dame” continue to separate themselves with elite 2026 RB even after the departure of Deland McCullough
Before Deland McCullough left for the Las Vegas Raiders, he was busy putting together an extremely impressive 2026 running back board for Notre Dame. New running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider walks into a talented group of targets, and one that he will have to develop deeper relationships with quickly. Arguably the top target overall on […]
Before Deland McCullough left for the Las Vegas Raiders, he was busy putting together an extremely impressive 2026 running back board for Notre Dame. New running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider walks into a talented group of targets, and one that he will have to develop deeper relationships with quickly. Arguably the top target overall on the entire board is Carrollton (Ga.) Central star Jonaz Walton.
The Georgia standout made his first visit to Notre Dame recently. The Fighting Irish are currently high on Walton's list. In an interview with On3 vice president Steve Wiltfong, Walton went in-depth on his recruitment currently, with his top group consisting of Notre Dame, Georgia, Alabama, Oregon, Miami, Tennessee, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, and Stanford.
Here is what Wiltfong had to say about Walton and Notre Dame:
“A lot of things excite me about them. Even though they lost Coach McCullough I still like being there at their school talking to Coach Freeman. How he handled his team last year as well as the running backs. Jeremiyah Love possibly being a Heisman candidate. Academically really a prestigious school. It’s a lot different than a lot of other schools I’ve been to and you can tell when I’m there.”
Notre Dame has a battle ahead of them, but they are in a great spot with Walton right now. They need to continue trending forward, and Coach Seider needs to have a large impact.
Walton is very well-liked by every major recruiting platform out there. He is currently ranked as a four-star player, the No. 86 overall player, and No. 8 running back in the 2026 recruiting class according to the 247Sports Composite ranking. That ranking also has Walton pegged as the No. 11 player in the state of Georgia, an area that the Irish have been trying to make an impact in more.
The offer list matches the rankings for Walton as well. The Georgia star is not short of impressive options, currently holding offers from the Fighting Irish, Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan, Tennessee, USC, Florida, Auburn, and Florida State among many, many others.
As a junior, Walton was once again fantastic. In 12 games, he rushed for 1,387 yards and 14 touchdowns. The 5-9, 205-pound runner also hauled in 39 receptions for 646 yards and four more scores through the air, while also averaging over 38 yards per kick return as well on special teams.
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