Jeremiyah Love’s departure for the NFL left a void in Notre Dame’s backfield, but Marcus Freeman isn’t waiting for it to be felt. His latest move in the recruiting wars involves a Texas phenom with a similar 4-star pedigree and a choice between two of college football’s most storied rivals.

Notre Dame adds the No. 3 running back out of Texas, Javian Osborne of Forney, to its team. The final decision was between Notre Dame and Michigan, and ultimately, Marcus Freeman’s team got his commitment. Now, he is taking a visit to the Irish during this spring practice season. This visit will help him better understand the team, how well Notre Dame develops its running backs, and where he fits into the system.

Now, his production backs up the surrounding hype. The 5’10”, 195-pound runner rushed for 1,227 yards and scored 25 total touchdowns as a junior, averaging more than 6.5 yards per carry. His explosiveness is the reason powerhouse programs like Georgia, Ohio State, Texas, Alabama, Oregon, Oklahoma, and Tennessee are interested in him.

Osborne arrives at Notre Dame as a college-ready prospect, having rushed for 4,522 career yards with 72 touchdowns. Plus, after Love’s NFL move and Gi’Bran Payne’s portal move, he can add immediate impact and depth to the team, developing under running back coach Ja’Juan Seider.

The parallels between Love and Osborne are striking, starting with their highly touted recruitment. Both attracted strong interest from leading programs but ultimately chose Marcus Freeman’s team. They both entered college sports with 4-star rankings and are expected to thrive in the Notre Dame system. Love made a significant impact right after his first year, and Osborne’s physicality means he can contribute just as well.

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Back in October, Osborne delivered one of the most remarkable performances of his career against Royse City, helping his team overcome a 19-3 first-half deficit. He rushed for 307 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries, showing his immense power.

As Notre Dame works to secure its future backfield with talents like Osborne, the program is also celebrating the pipeline that produced him, with former star Jeremiyah Love now generating significant NFL buzz.

Freeman’s former star RB gains NFL Draft buzz

After leading Notre Dame to a 10-win season and a championship berth in 2024, Jeremiyah Love declared for the NFL draft. Love’s draft stock skyrocketed after a dominant 2025 season where he proved to be a true dual-threat, amassing 1,372 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns while also showcasing his versatility with 27 receptions for 280 yards and three additional scores. NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah trusts Love’s skills and projects him to join the Saints.

“No pun intended, but in this case, I just think if I’m the Saints, Jeremiah Love’s one of the top two or three players in this draft class, and you’ve got a chance to add him. You’ve got your tackles in place,” Jeremiah said. “They’ve got two first-round tackles. Now you’ve got the quarterback.

Now you could say, ‘Okay, now we add this running back in here who is not only a runner.’ But they know what it’s like to see backs that can really catch the ball out of the backfield in that city watching that team, and this dude can catch the heck out of it.”

Looking at the Saints’ running back group, Love’s addition can be a major boost for them. Alvin Kamara’s production declined in the 2025 season, during which he missed six games due to injury and recorded career lows in rushing yards.

Then, even Kendre Miller suffered a torn ACL and missed the mid-2025 season. Let’s wait and see if the Saints make their move towards him.