Notre Dame football predicted to miss out on another priority running back recruiting target to a notable Big Ten program
Notre Dame football appears to be losing steam with priority running back targets Noah Roberts.
Notre Dame football has had great fortune at the running back position over the last several years. There are very few programs in college football that can lose Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price in one offseason, and still feel great about their room heading into the 2026 college football season. There are more than a few teams that would love a room of Aneyas Williams, Kedren Young, Nolan James Jr., Javian Osborne, and Jonaz Walton to work with.
With that running back success, along with the recruiting prowess of head coach Marcus Freeman and running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider, we also saw a ton of success during the 2026 recruiting class. The early returns in 2027, however, haven’t been quite as good, already missing out on elite running back Kemon Spell. It appears that some more bad news could be on the horizon.
According to Adam Gorney, national recruiting analyst from Rivals, he believes that the Oregon Ducks are the new leader for 2027 Chandler (Ariz.) Basha running back Noah Roberts. Gorney has logged an expert prediction for the Arizona star to land with the Ducks. It would be a big loss for the Fighting Irish, especially after Roberts just set a visit to Notre Dame for the April 18th weekend.
There hasn’t been a decision date set, or even a timeline disclosed, so there is time for the Irish staff to potentially recover. If Roberts does pull the trigger anytime soon, it does appear that Notre Dame would be the pick. Keeping his decision window open as long as possible will be key for Freeman and Co. There are still some interesting other options on the board, however.
Noah Roberts’ recruiting background
Roberts is considered to be a four-star player by each of the major recruiting platforms. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Roberts is currently rated as the No. 105 overall player, the No. 6 running back, and the No. 1 player from the state of Arizona for the 2027 recruiting class. ESPN has the Arizona star rated as the No. 52 overall player in the class.
The offer list for Roberts is even more impressive than the recruiting rankings. Some of the top programs that have offered him so far include the Fighting Irish, Alabama, Ohio State, Texas, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Michigan, Florida, Texas A&M, Miami, USC, Indiana, Florida State, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas State, Arizona State, Arizona, Arkansas, Washington, Wisconsin, SMU, Oregon State, UCLA, Utah, Vanderbilt, Colorado, Minnesota, UNC, Kansas, Oklahoma State, UCF, and Cal, among others.
As a junior, Roberts put together a tremendous season for Basha High School. In 13 games, the 6-1, 190-pound runner managed to rush for 761 yards and eight touchdowns despite sharing carries. Roberts also hauled in 50 receptions for 562 yards and six more scores as a receiver. He has the ability to become an all-purpose weapon on the college level. His combination of speed, explosiveness, and feel for space makes Roberts special.
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