Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543321
BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MARCH 2026 67 2026 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY KYLE KELLY Notre Dame general manager Mike Martin immediately made his presence felt in Javian Osborne's recruitment. Before Martin joined Notre Dame in February 2025, Forney (Texas) High's Osborne had never visited campus de- spite holding an offer for nearly a year. Martin was bound and determined to change that. "The very first time I saw his film, I was like, 'Who's this kid?'" Martin told reporters during his National Sign- ing Day news conference Dec. 3. "Then right away, I was like, 'We got to get him on the phone.'" Martin did, and it did not take long for Rivals' No. 9 running back and No. 135 overall player in the 2026 class to make his first trip to South Bend. He unoffi- cially visited Notre Dame March 18 and remained on campus for multiple days. By the end of Osborne's initial visit, the Irish had seized momentum and never relinquished it. Three weeks later, Rivals' No. 17 player in Texas returned, committed and eventually announced his verbal pledge May 3. Martin had se- cured one of the earliest must-haves of his tenure. "Javian Osborne, JO, he is just a natu- rally gifted runner," Martin said. "He has vision, anticipation, feel, instincts that are unusual for a high school run- ning back. I was able to see that right away on film. … He's just an extraordi- nary talent. He sees things differently. He sees the field in color." Osborne rushed for 6,602 yards and 107 touchdowns in his high school ca- reer, including 2,157 yards and 33 scores as a senior against some of Texas' toughest competition. He chose Notre Dame over 37 other Power Four offers, including finalist Michigan. Texas, Oregon, Georgia and Alabama also heavily recruited him. ✦ Mike Martin Made A Major Push For Javian Osborne Osborne rushed for 6,602 yards in his high school career, setting a new school record. He also holds the record for touchdowns with 107. PHOTO COURTSY RIVALS JAVIAN OSBORNE RUNNING BACK 5-9 · 197 FORNEY H.S. FORNEY, TEXAS RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE Industry ✪✪✪✪ 132 10 18 ✪✪✪✪ 135 9 17 ✪✪✪✪ 191 15 30 ✪✪✪✪ 87 6 11 STATISTICS • Racked up 2,157 yards and 33 touchdowns on 271 carries, plus 10 catches for 155 yards, in 12 games during his senior season in 2025, helping Forney reach the second round of the Texas Class 6A, Division 2 playoffs. • In nine games as a junior in 2024, he turned 156 carries into 1,085 yards and 21 scores plus caught 9 passes for 158 yards and 3 touchdowns, helping the Jackrabbits reach the postseason. • Ran 290 times for 2,231 yards and 39 touch- downs in his 15-game sophomore season in 2023 that ended with a loss in the state semifinals. • Made an immediate impact as a freshman in 2022, registering 144 carries for 1,064 yards and 8 touchdowns across 11 games. NOTABLE • Named the Texas Class 6A, District 10 Offensive Most Valuable Player in 2025. • Was a four-time first-team all-district selection. • Played in the Under Armour All-America Game after the 2024 campaign. • Holds the records for career rushing yards (6,602) and touchdowns (107) at Forney High School. RECRUITMENT • Committed to the Irish on May 3, 2025. • Enrolled at Notre Dame in January. • Chose the Irish over Michigan. • Recruited by running backs coach Ja'Juan Se- ider. • Visited Notre Dame four times, including his official visit on June 13, 2025. 2026 PROJECTION Osborne has the talent to command snaps as a freshman, especially with limited production returning to the Notre Dame running backs room. THEY SAID IT Rivals director of scouting and rankings Charles Power: "Osborne is a compact running back with good vision, tackle-breaking ability and one who came on our radar early on in his high school career. He had a really, really good sophomore year and has continued to add size to his frame. He's going to come to college ready-made. He's compactly built and does not miss time in the weight room. Osborne has a sturdy base, which is certainly something you want for running backs who will have an extensive workload. "I like his skill set as a ball carrier. He has a lot of the talent and instincts you want to see at the position. One area of improvement for him is pass catching out of the backfield. He can continue to improve his receiving skills. To be fair, he did have a hand injury when we saw him at the Under Ar- mour All-America Game. "He brings a well-rounded game as a running back with a high skill level. He plays against strong competition, is physically developed and adds an- other quality back to Notre Dame's running back room. Osborne was highly recruited out of Texas. Any time you go into Texas and pluck a blue-chip- per out of there, that's commendable."