Notre Dame football predicted to land dynamic Southeastern playmaker to help solidify best RB haul in a very long time
Notre Dame football received some great news recently when 2026 Forney (Texas) High School running back Javian Osborne opted for the Irish over the Michigan Wolverines. New running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider was able to make quite the early statement on the recruiting trail with Osborne. It appears his statement is not over yet, and […]
Notre Dame football received some great news recently when 2026 Forney (Texas) High School running back Javian Osborne opted for the Irish over the Michigan Wolverines. New running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider was able to make quite the early statement on the recruiting trail with Osborne. It appears his statement is not over yet, and the momentum is expected to continue into the very near future potentially.
On Wednesday, On3 vice president of recruiting Steve Wiltfong put in an expert prediction for the Fighting Irish to also land Carrollton (Ga.) Central star Jonaz Walton. Getting two talented runners, one from Texas and the other from Georgia, is extremely notable. Walton is exactly the compliment the staff has been looking for, and creates a potentially elite haul.
Walton is extremely well-liked by all of the major recruiting platforms that is out there. He is currently ranked as a four-star player by every platform, including the No. 124 overall player, and No. 10 running back in the 2026 recruiting class according to the 247Sports Composite ranking. That ranking also has him rated as the No. 18 player in the state of Georgia, an area that the Irish staff has made a much greater priority in recent years.
The offer list matches the high rankings for Walton as well. The Georgia star has been no short of impressive options in his recruitment, currently holding scholarships from the Fighting Irish, Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, Alabama, Michigan, Tennessee, USC, Florida, Auburn, Nebraska, South Carolina, and Florida State among a long list of others.
As a junior in 2024, Walton put together another tremendous season for Carrollton. In 12 games he played, Walton rushed for 1,387 yards and 14 touchdowns. The 5-9, 205-pound athlete also managed to haul in an additional 39 receptions for 646 yards and four more scores through the air, while also averaging North of 38 yards per kick return as well as a special teams weapon.
Osborne, in comparison, is more of the explosive play machine that has the talent to create a big play with each touch. Walton is a physical runner that runs with insane contact balance. The Georgia native also has strong hands out of the backfield, which is a very unique running back on the next level. Grabbing Walton to pair with Osborne would be an insane haul for the Irish.
