Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1529460
BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM NOV. 23, 2024 43 BY KYLE KELLY The Notre Dame football program added one of the best running backs from the Northeast to its 2025 recruit- ing class Nov. 11. Rising recruit Nolan James Jr. out of Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic verbally committed to the Fighting Irish, flip- ping from his Boston College pledge. According to On3's rankings, James is a three-star recruit, the No. 27 prospect in New Jersey and the No. 57 running back in the country. He also held offers from Duke, Minnesota, Syracuse and Virginia. The Fighting Irish coaching staff pri- vately offered James earlier this football season and hosted him on an official visit the weekend of the Florida State game. He left South Bend set to play his college football there. "It is the best of both worlds," James told On3 vice president of recruiting and transfer portal Steve Wiltfong. "That being academically and athleti- cally. … I would say the overall message and goal from everyone in the building stood out. "Everyone involved with the program pushes the players to greatness on and off the field, along with embracing the fact that it will be difficult and hard." James is a teammate at DePaul Catho- lic of Notre Dame three-star wide re- ceiver commit Elijah Burress, who gave Blue & Gold Illustrated a ringing en- dorsement of the newest addition to the program's commit list during a Nov. 2 interview. Burress is On3's No. 20 player in New Jersey and the No. 118 wide re- ceiver in the country in 2025. "I don't say this lightly. He's the best player I've played with, hands down," said Burress, who is also teammates with Ohio State four-star commits cor- nerback DeShawn Stewart and wide receiver De'zie Jones, the Nos. 7 and 8 prospects in New Jersey in the 2025 class, respectively. Burress visited campus with Jones for the Florida State game. Before the flip became formal, he had a hunch that his teammate would be a perfect match for the Fighting Irish. "What makes him Notre Dame-wor- thy is the man he is," Burress said. "He's such a good man. His characteristics make him such a good person. "He embodies everything about being a Notre Dame human being. I think it's perfect for him." Despite having Burress and an Ohio State commit at wide receiver in the 2025 class, and a four-star quarter- back in Derek Zammit, who is the No. 10 passer and No. 155 overall player in 2026, the DePaul Catholic offense has leaned on Jones to lead them to an 8-1 record. In those nine games, he has car- ried the ball 181 times for 1,419 yards (7.8 yards per rush) and scored 14 touch- downs. He has also been useful in the passing game, catching 22 passes for 265 yards and 2 touchdowns. Last season, James was similarly ef- fective, racking up 1,415 yards and 8 touchdowns on 218 carries (6.5 yards per carry), and hauling in 19 throws for 154 yards and 1 score. "He's an every-down back," DePaul Catholic coach Nick Campanile told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "To me, that's the best compliment. You never have to take him off the field. … "Nolan can do everything. He is an unbelievable blocker. He's a great pass receiver out of the backfield. He's run for almost 1,500 yards this year against a really, really tough schedule. We know he can run the ball well, too." The 2023 campaign was James' first at DePaul Catholic. He spent the first two years of his high school career at Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco Prep. As a sophomore, he had 91 rushes for 625 yards (6.9 yards per carry) and 8 touch- downs, plus a career-high 43 receptions for 530 yards and 5 scores. James imme- diately emerged on the scene as a fresh- man, getting 30 carries for 157 yards and 3 touchdowns along with 7 receptions for 96 yards and a score. James' younger brother, Jayden James, is one of the nation's top wrestlers in the 2026 class. Jayden, who attends Morris- town (N.J.) Delbarton, competes in the 150-pound weight class and is verbally committed to Virginia Tech. ✦ COMMITMENT PROFILE NOLAN JAMES JR. James, On3's No. 27 prospect in New Jersey and No. 57 running back nationally, verbally commit- ted to Notre Dame after officially visiting campus for the Florida State game Nov. 9. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER FILM ANALYSIS "There's a lot to like about [Nolan James Jr.'s] skill set as a ball carrier. He has a good burst, gets to the second level quickly and shows good feet and vision when working through the line of scrimmage. He has a very good change of direction; you see his ability to stick his foot in the ground, make a move and change direction on a dime. That's a huge skill to have as a running back. "He's 5-10, 205 pounds and is well built from a size perspective. I could see him adding a little weight at Notre Dame, but he doesn't need to add a ton. He has the weight distribution and body you want in a running back. He has a good mass on his frame. He projects as a guy who works in a traditional running back role, and I want to see him more as a pass catcher. I want to dig more into his ball skills. "But from a physical trait and skill set perspective, he may remind Notre Dame fans of Kyren Williams. At the same stage, he's bigger than Kyren, but they have a similar run style. James is probably quicker than fast and has really good vision and instincts. If he's anywhere close to Williams, this is a big get for Notre Dame." — On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power Notre Dame Flips Talented Running Back From Boston College