Four-star RB Javian Osborne commits to Notre Dame over Michigan

Forney (Texas) High running back Javian Osborne announced his commitment to Notre Dame over Michigan on Saturday evening, giving the Fighting Irish another big-time pledge in their 2026 recruiting class.

Osborne ranks as the nation’s No. 106 overall player and No. 8 running back according to the On3 Industry Ranking. The Irish and Wolverines were the final two schools on his list, and he had scholarship offers from Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and many others.

“When you think of Notre Dame, it starts with the football program of course but then it’s the life after football,” Osborne told Blue & Gold about why he picked the Irish before announcing his decision. “The Notre Dame degree holds a lot of weight. It doesn’t get any better than Notre Dame.”

Osborne earned his offer from Notre Dame in March 2024 but didn’t visit campus until March 18 — a trip that blew him away and made the Irish the lead contender in his recruitment.

The four-star prospect returned to campus the next month and informed the staff of his decision to commit during that trip.

“Mike Martin and Coach [Ja’Juan] Seider were super excited and pumped up,” recalled Osborne. “Coach [Marcus] Freeman was fired up and said I had to help keep this recruiting class on track. I told him that we’re going to win a national championship.”

As a freshman and sophomore, Osborne’s Forney squad beat Lufkin (Texas) High in back-to-back seasons, and current Irish running back Kedren Young starred on the opposing team both years. Young was committed to the Irish during Osborne’s sophomore season.

“When I started getting offers, I asked my head coach if he could get me in touch with Notre Dame. I always loved Notre Dame,” added Osborne. “So, he called the coach at Lufkin to get the connection with the Notre Dame coaches.”

While it took a while for Osborne to get to South Bend, once he did, it all clicked.

“I always loved the school and what they’re about,” Osborne said. “I love seeing them run the ball.”

Osborne is Notre Dame’s 14th commitment in the 2026 cycle and first running back pledge. He’s now the second-highest ranked verbal in the Irish’s class, only behind five-star pass rusher Rodney Dunham.

Relationships at Notre Dame were key for Osborne

Last December, Penn State offered Osborne, and the Nittany Lions running backs coach at the time was Seider, who joined the Notre Dame staff a few months later for the same position.

Osborne thought highly of ex-Irish running backs coach Deland McCullough, but when he left, Osborne’s interest in Notre Dame didn’t skip a beat. If anything, it increased.

“When Coach Seider went to Notre Dame, he told me that I’m the guy he wanted,” said Osborne. “I went on campus that first time, and we hit it off. You can tell when coaches are faking it or not; I can tell the connection was genuine. It wasn’t even all about football. He wanted to build a relationship with me.

“On my second visit, we talked about football more, and he’s a big reason why I committed to Notre Dame.”

Freeman was another key figure in Osborne’s recruitment.

“He was texting me throughout my junior season to see how I was doing,” Osborne said. “I love how he coaches, and his leadership is real. He brings so much to the table for young men. He’s such a great human being. Not many coaches are like him. He’s a great coach and an even better person.”

Osborne is picking Notre Dame for the full package. Between the Irish’s history of a strong running game, the coaching staff, tradition and academics, he believes it’s the best fit for him.

“Education is big, of course,” he stated. “I have a 3.9 GPA. Academics definitely played a part. Everyone around the school told me how much weight a Notre Dame degree holds. It does so much for you after football.”

Now that the 5-9, 195-pounder has committed to Notre Dame, he doesn’t plan to look back. He’s locked in with the Irish and will enroll in December.

“My dad wanted me to wait until July so I could take all of my officials, but the process was weighing on me a little bit,” he said. “With this commitment, I’m all in. I’m not thinking about decommitting. I’m 100 percent committed. I’m going to be recruiting the best guys possible for the school.”

Osborne plans to be a leader of the Irish’s 2026 class and is already recruiting key defensive back target Joey O’Brien from Pennsylvania to join him in South Bend. He’s formed strong relationships with the Notre Dame commits, especially the offensive line verbals and quarterback Noah Grubbs.

The Javian Osborne file

Osborne had a strong junior season, rushing for 1,085 yards with 21 touchdowns on 156 carries, while adding three receiving scores.

His sophomore season was simply incredible, carrying the rock 290 times for 2,231 yards with 39 overall touchdowns to help lead Forney to a state semifinal appearance in the Texas 5A D1 Conference.

Osborne was named the District 7-5A Division I Offensive Newcomer of the Year as a true freshman. Across three seasons, he’s logged 622 carries for 4,445 yards with 75 total scores.

“On the field, I’m an explosive runner,” he said. “I can make the first guy miss and hit a home run. Off the field, I love giving back to the community. Whether it’s youth camps, building houses or whatever it is, I love community service.”

The Under Armour All-America Game started allowing high school juniors to play in it starting this year, and Osborne was among the participants.