2025 RB Justin Thurman announces decommitment from Notre Dame football, flips to Kansas
On this date a year ago, Notre Dame had two running backs committed in Bryant (Ark.) High’s Daniel Anderson and Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit’s Justin Thurman. And now, they’re both gone from the Irish 2025 commit list.
Anderson and Notre Dame parted ways Oct. 3, and Thurman announced the same today, Nov. 18. The three-star back who committed to the Irish back on Aug. 1 has flipped his commitment to Kansas.
Thurman, who ranks as the No. 729 overall player and No. 58 running back in America according to the 2025 On3 Industry Ranking, held offers from Florida, Tennessee, Auburn, Louisville, Iowa, Purdue, Indiana, North Carolina State, Vanderbilt and others before committing to the Irish.
According to his On3 Visit Center, he’s tripped to South Bend 14 times in total, including a trip Nov. 9 for the Florida State game.
In a track event at Florida State in March 2023, Thurman ran a 10.84 in the 100-meter dash. He’s reportedly been clocked in the 4.4 to 4.5 range in the 40-yard dash.
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His father, James, was a wide receiver at Florida A&M in the early 1990s.
Thurman is originally from St. Louis and attended De Smet Jesuit — the same high school that produced Irish freshman cornerback Christian Gray — before transferring to Tampa Jesuit ahead of his sophomore year.
As a sophomore at Jesuit, Thurman wasn’t the lead back; that title went to Joquez Smith, a three-star prospect who signed with Temple. According to MaxPreps, Thurman totaled 169 rushing yards on just 19 carries and scored 2 touchdowns.
During his junior season, he had 169 carries for 812 yards with 14 touchdowns across 12 games, while adding 198 receiving yards and 3 scores. His senior season hasn’t been as productive so far, totaling 90 carries for 393 yards with 9 touchdowns, plus 68 receiving yards and a score through 8 contests.
Notre Dame currently has one running back pledge in Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic’s Nolan James Jr., the No. 988 overall prospect and No. 76 running back in America per the 2025 On3 Industry Ranking. The No. 2 running back in the Garden State also held offers from Duke, Minnesota, Syracuse and Virginia.