Okay, so the 2025 NFL Draft is only a few weeks away. However, rather than having their focus set on the draft, college football presents an equally thrilling narrative. After all, the star recruits are just a few steps away from choosing their home. Right now, it’s 4-star running back Javian Osborne who is stirring the pot. The Forney (Texas) High star has made it easy for his suitors. To him, Sherrone Moore’s Michigan and Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame are the frontrunners who could seal the deal. However, among the two semi-finalists in Mission Osborne, he has already developed a soft spot for one of them. And guess who it is?   

The craze for Osborne has been real. Now come on, he is the No. 97 overall player and No. 8 running back in the 2026 class. In that case, the stars have been in Michigan and Notre Dame’s favor. He finalized these two schools and canceled out the rest – that included SMU, Miami, and Alabama. The 5-foot, 9-inch, and 195-pound running back will only take two official visits. Meanwhile, he has marked the calendars for his visit to South Bend on the June 13 weekend and then to Ann Arbor on the June 20 weekend. However, the schools won’t have to wait for June to host Osborne. The RB will be there in Notre Dame for the Blue-Gold spring game on April 12 and on April 19 for Michigan’s spring games. However, he is already leaning toward Freeman’s squad.

Even though Osborne made it clear that his final decision will arrive after those two trips, that might alter. That’s because Freeman’s Fighting Irish has already wooed him. On March 31, Chad Simmons tweeted, “Major target for the Irish!” resharing Kyle Kelly’s tweet where the analyst confirmed that Osborne is “down to two schools.” But what makes Notre Dame so dear to the running back? In an interview with Blue & Gold on March 21, Osborne shared, “Man, it’s so different.” It’s more about the feel of the rich history that the school carries. He continued, “Especially being in the stadium, the history of it. Just seeing the different accolades of the coaches and stuff. Honestly, it’s different and probably the best I think, hands down, the best visit I’ve been on.”    

After all, Freeman’s program carries a rich legacy of 11 national championships,  including 8 from the major wire services: AP Poll and/or Coaches’ Poll. The Fighting Irish scored brownie points by making Osborne feel at home. The running back then confessed, “Very detailed. If I were to commit, very detailed about who I would be talking to regarding my classes, where I would be going—the different things. Like, what would you do? They showed me the Grotto and different stuff. There are just so many things that Notre Dame has to offer. These three days were just legit. It was awesome.” Now, as Moore might be caught with some FOMO feels, Fighting Irish keeps trying to keep their legacy alive with Osborne.  

How Notre Dame is desperate to carry on their legacy with Javian Osborne

The Wolverines are likely to be desperate to land Osborne. After all, their running back room needs some serious shake-up. Courtesy? Their running back – Donovan Edwards. The 2024 season exposed Edwards to a rough path. Do you remember his Week 1 performance against Fresno State? Edwards finished the game with just 27 yards on 11 carries. But maybe God has some different plans for Moore. 

In this case, Freeman is likely to be lucky to hunt down Osborne, whose game is reminiscent of former NFL star LeSean McCoy. He can make defenders look silly in tight spaces. Surprisingly, Fighting Irish is making all the right moves to woo Osborne. Notre Dame’s biggest roadblock in pursuing Osborne was their new running backs coach, Ja’Juan Seider. After all, the Texas standout had a close bond with Freeman’s former coach and now Las Vegas Raiders coach, Deland McCullough. As it turns out, there is not much to worry about. The running back sounded pleased: “Coach Seider is definitely that guy.” McCullough offered Osborne a scholarship on March 17, 2024, during the program’s St. Patrick’s Day-themed Pot of Gold Day recruiting event. That’s how Notre Dame is close to carrying forward their legacy.

In case Javian Osborne finalizes Marcus Freeman’s squad as his next home, he will be the third Lone Star State running back Notre Dame has added since 2022. Back in 2022, they signed Denison (Texas) High four-star Jadarian Price. Last year, with Deland McCullough’s help, they landed Lufkin (Texas) High four-star Kedren Young. And now, Notre Dame’s hunt for two RBs in 2026 is on, and Osborne is running ahead of the pack.