Former Notre Dame recruiting target finds new home on the West Coast, offering high upside in Big Ten conference
Notre Dame football has a chance to finish with arguably the top running back duo committed in the entire 2026 recruiting class of any program. Assistant coach Ja’Juan Seider was able to come to South Bend this offseason, and immediately flash his recruiting muscles. It has been impressive to see. With Javian Osborne and Jonaz […]
Notre Dame football has a chance to finish with arguably the top running back duo committed in the entire 2026 recruiting class of any program. Assistant coach Ja’Juan Seider was able to come to South Bend this offseason, and immediately flash his recruiting muscles. It has been impressive to see.
With Javian Osborne and Jonaz Walton committed in the class, the future of the running back room for the Fighting Irjsh is very bright even after star runner Jeremiyah Love heads to the NFL. The majority of the major recruiting platforms have both players ranked inside the top ten running backs in the class.
Perhaps the most impressive part of the recruiting job from Coach Seider is that he was able to generate high interest from a few other talented runners, and eventually had to move on from the pursuit of some impressive players. That includes 2026 Valencia (Calif.) High School star running back Brian Bonner, who the Fighting Irish were once in a strong spot for.
Bonner found his new home on Tuesday, committing to the Washington Huskies. Head coach Jess Fisch got himself a really impressive running back with all purpose upside.
Bonner is considered a borderline Top-100 recruit by a multiple of the major recruiting platforms. On the 247Sports Composite ranking, Bonner is rated as the No. 105 overall player, No. 7 running back, and No. 13 player in the state of California in the 2026 recruiting class. California has a tremendous track record of developing a ton of talent, and Notre Dame has tapped into it over the years.
There had been an elite group of standout programs that were pursuing Bonner prior to him making his commitment. Some of his top offers include the Fighting Irish, Georgia, Oregon, Michigan, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Penn State, Auburn, USC, Nebraska, Utah, Washington, Arizona State, Missouri, UCLA, Michigan State, SMU, Minnesota, Arizona, Cal, Duke, Kansas, Stanford, and Northwestern among many others.
As a junior in 2024, Bonner was dynamic for Valencia. The 6-0, 190-pound runner rushed for 1,493 and 25 touchdowns while averaging a stellar 7.6 yards per carry. Bonner also managed to haul in another 40 receptions for 498 yards and four scores in the passing game.
The Huskies just got themselves a really talented player, and he has a chance to be a Big Ten star down the road. This is also a testament to the quality of recruiting we are seeing from head coach Marcus Freeman, Coach Seider, and the staff. It’s not often that a team can stop pursuing a top-100 player because their class is already loaded.