2025 four-star RB Justin Thurman commits to Notre Dame football

While Notre Dame is still putting its finishing touches on the 2024 class, the Fighting Irish staff is also getting a nice head start in the 2025 cycle.

The Irish have landed commitment No. 3 in the rising junior class, with Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit running back Justin Thurman announcing his pledge to Notre Dame Tuesday afternoon.

“The reasons that led to my decision to commit to Notre Dame were the culture, academics, program and the people,” Thurman told Blue & Gold. “It’s a great holistic fit for me and my lifestyle. Four years at Notre Dame puts you in the best position for the next 40 years of your life.

“From Coach [Marcus] Freeman all the way down, it’s a family environment. There’s such great camaraderie, and there’s a collaborative environment.”

Thurman picked up an offer from Notre Dame May 25 during a conversation with Irish running backs coach Deland McCullough, and he quickly set up a visit to get out to South Bend for a visit. The four-star prospect had a two-day visit at Notre Dame in mid-June, which included participating in a recruiting camp where he impressed the Irish staff.

The 6-0, 180-pounder returned to South Bend July 29 for another two-day trip, and by the end of the visit, he informed the Notre Dame coaches Saturday night of his decision to commit.

“I told them that I had long conversations with my family, prayed a lot about it and came to the conclusion that Notre Dame is the best fit for me and the right choice,” Thurman said.

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McCullough, director of recruiting Chad Bowden and head coach Marcus Freeman were all important figures in leading Thurman to pick the Irish, and one staffer who deserves a lot of credit in Thurman picking Notre Dame is director of high school scouting Dre Brown.

“He’s a great coach and guy,” Thurman said of Brown. “He’s very informative and talks to me a lot. We’ve had good conversations about how I’d fit in the program. We’ve had in-depth talks about Notre Dame overall.”

Thurman, who is ranked as the nation’s No. 259 overall prospect and No. 24 running back per the 2025 On3 Industry Ranking, also held offers from Florida, Tennessee, Auburn, Louisville, Iowa, Purdue, Indiana, North Carolina State, Vanderbilt and others. According to his On3 Visit Center, Thurman has taken a total of 28 college recruiting trips.

Thurman joins Washington (Okla.) High tight end Nate Roberts and Miami Palmetto defensive lineman Davion Dixon on the 2025 Notre Dame commitment list.

As a sophomore at Jesuit, Thurman wasn’t the lead back; that title went to Joquez Smith, a three-star prospect who signed with Temple. According to MaxPreps, Thurman totaled 169 rushing yards on just 19 carries and scored 2 touchdowns. He’s expected to become the lead back this fall, and there are high expectations for the new Irish commit.

“I’m a person of hard work, dedication, integrity and perseverance,” Thurman said. “I’m going to be an ambassador for Notre Dame’s 2025 class. I’m looking forward to helping the team get back to a national championship.”

In a track event at Florida State in March, Thurman ran a 10.84 in the 100-meter dash. He’s reportedly been clocked in the 4.4 to 4.5 range in the 40-yard dash.

His father, James, was a wide receiver at Florida A&M in the early 1990s.

Thurman is originally from St. Louis and attended De Smet Jesuit — the same high school that produced Irish freshman cornerback Christian Gray — before transferring to Tampa Jesuit ahead of his sophomore year.

He’s close with Gray and St. Louis Christian Brothers running back Jeremiyah Love, who also signed with Notre Dame in the 2023 class. He’s even met former Irish running back and St. Louis native Kyren Williams before.