‘Super aggressive’ Ja’Juan Seider having instant success on recruiting trail for Notre Dame

Notre Dame lost one of the best running backs coaches in college football when Deland McCullough left for the same position with the Las Vegas Raiders Feb. 5. And Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish replaced McCullough with another top running backs coach in the collegiate game.

Ja’Juan Seider officially joined the Notre Dame staff as running backs coach Feb. 18, leaving Penn State after several years. And he has hit the ground running.

You’d expect a coach of Seider’s caliber to recruit well, and he’s done that. Some of the running backs who the Irish were already after, Seider was recruiting at Penn State. But for those he wasn’t after, he worked hard to make up for lost time. He hasn’t landed any commits yet, but he’s certainly helped improve where Notre Dame stands with its top targets.

The art of area recruiting is not what it used to be a decade ago, but Seider still does it. The South Florida native recruits the general area that he’s from and has pushed that envelope right away.

Will he have any success in recruiting players from Miami and surrounding cities? That remains to be seen. It’s not the most fertile recruiting ground for ND. But the Irish hosted 2025 four-star cornerback J’Vari Flowers from Miami Northwestern for an official visit a couple weeks ago. He did commit to the Gators earlier this week, but the Irish certainly made the decision tough, showing that Seider can help lead the charge in a recruitment that isn’t a typical ND profile fit.

And Notre Dame recently hosted Miami Central linebacker Karon Maycock, a Florida State commit. The Irish are squarely in the mix now for the talented class of 2026 prospect.

Seider and the Irish offered 10 running backs in the 2027 class a couple weeks ago for Pot of Gold Day as well. Four-star running back Amir Brown was one of those prospects, and he visited campus on Wednesday.

Seider’s early impact on the 2026 class

In a Blue & Gold YouTube live show Tuesday night, analyst Tim Hyde spoke about the strong recruiting prowess that Seider has shown. The Irish look to have four running backs to watch closest currently: Santa Clarita (Calf.) Valencia’s Brian Bonner Jr., Raymore (Mo.) Peculiar’s DeZephen Walker, Carrolton (Ga.) Central’s Jonaz Walton and Forney (Texas) High’s Javian Osborne.

The Irish look to be in a good spot with all four players and especially Osborne coming out of his recent visit.

“I like how he’s come in, and it feels like he’s been super aggressive,” Hyde said. “No one thought Notre Dame really had a chance with Javian Osborne, but now the Irish are in the final two.

“Bonner is legit; the guy ran a 10.4 [in the 100-meter race]. He has unbelievable speed. If they could go into SoCal and steal him, that would be great, and Walton is a stud. He can take it to the house; he reminds me a lot of Jadarian Price when I watch him … They’re all very talented.”

And you also can’t rule out Harrisburg (Pa.) High’s Messiah Mickens. The four-star prospect committed to Penn State in August 2023 with Seider being a big part of his decision. Over the weekend, Mickens declared that he would be sticking with his Nittany Lions pledge, but there is a long way to go until signing day.

La Puente (Calif.) Bishop Amat’s Caleb Bey is another running back target for the Irish, but he hasn’t visited campus just yet. He’s expected to make it to South Bend April 12 for the Blue-Gold Game.

Notre Dame is looking to take two running backs in the 2026 class, and with the six names mentioned in this story, Seider has the potential to sign one of the best pairings in the country.

“I’ve felt that this has to be a monster running back class,” Hyde added. “Jeremiyah Love will go pro, and Jadarian Price could leave. Who’s the next big-time running back to come in and get some carries as a freshman? These running backs in 2026 are better than what they’ve brought in the past couple years. Better than Nolan James Jr., and I love Aneyas Williams, but these guys have more shake and wiggle than Aneyas.”

If it were up to Hyde, there are two backs he’d like to see Notre Dame land in particular.

“Speed and more speed — I’d take Osborne and Bonner … I don’t need thunder and lightning,” he said. “Give me the fast guys. But they’re all damn good running backs.”