Notre Dame commit continues to prove that his recruiting rankings are completely bogus as he puts together an elite senior year
Notre Dame 2026 running back commit Javian Osborne needs more respect from the various recruiting platforms
It feels like ever since 2026 Forney (Texas) High School running back Javian Osborne committed to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish back in May, he has continued to be disrespected by some of the major recruiting platforms. Largely considered a consensus top-100 player by each platform, Rivals now ranks the Texas native as the No. 138 overall player and No. 10 running back in the 2026 class. Osborne has had a slight dip in rankings by every site overall over the last few months.
While it isn’t a low ranking, at least in a vacuum, it is way too low for how good a player that Osborne is. Based on what Osborne has done at Forney High School, including the start he has gotten off to as a senior, those rankings should rise, and by healthy margins. The 5-9, 195-pound runner has been outstanding during the early parts of the 2025 season.
So far this season, Osborne has exploded in the two games he has played. In total, he has rushed for 414 yards and six touchdowns on just 32 carries. That is an average of 12.9 yards per reception. Funny enough, Osborne has hauled in just two receptions for 20 yards so far, meaning he is averaging less yards per reception than what he is on the ground. A first down per touch is a healthy margin, even in a smaller sample size.
When you pop on the highlights for Osborne, you are going to see all the things that made him such an important target for the Fighting Irish. Osborne runs with a low center of gravity, including great contact balance to play off of tacklers and navigate traffic. He is a very natural runner, understanding pacing as a runner, and possesses impressive field vision.
The thing that is impressive for Osborne is the increased level of explosiveness. That has been a strength for the Texas star, but it looks to be on an even higher level so far as a senior. With Osborne being a shorter running back, he naturally doesn’t have the greatest stride length in the world. That hasn’t stopped him from opening up those strides and creating some big plays.
During his three seasons prior to the 2025 season, Osborne had rushed for 4,522 yards and 72 rushing touchdowns. If Osborne continues this pace, he will have his finest season as a senior despite there being a high bar that was previously set. Osborne is everything that Notre Dame fans have hoped he is, and he’s showing all of that and more this season so far.
This is a top-50 national player, or at least should be.
Following the 2025 college football season, there is a good chance that Notre Dame is going to have to replace both Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. While those are massive losses, the future of the running back room is in a great place. Along with fellow 2026 commit Jonaz Walton, Osborne and this class promise to be a continued answer to any questions that do pop up.
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