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Where does Notre Dame football's 2026 running back class rank in program history?

Kyle Kellyby: Kyle Kelly05/19/25ByKyleKelly
Jonaz Walton, Marcus Freeman, Javian Osborne
Notre Dame has secured commitments from two elite 2026 class running backs: Central (Ga.) Carrollton's Jonaz Walton (left) and Forney (Texas) High's Javian Osborne (right).

The Notre Dame football program secured a significant commitment last Wednesday when Carrollton (Ga.) Central four-star running back Jonaz Walton pledged to the Fighting Irish.

With Walton’s commitment, Notre Dame now boasts pledges from two of the nation’s top 10 running backs. On May 3, Forney (Texas) High four-star running back Javian Osborne announced his decision to join the Irish.

Notre Dame’s 2026 running back duo is shaping up to be one of the best in program history during the internet recruiting rankings era, which dates back to 2002. Below is where the duo ranks among past Irish recruiting classes, sorted by their average On3 Industry Ranking.

Honorable mention

These classes only featured one running back recruit:

5. Class of 2024: Kedren Young & Aneyas Williams (179.5 average ranking)

  • Young | Lufkin (Texas) High | No. 120 NATL, No. 9 RB & No. 19 player in Texas (93.83 rating)
  • Williams | Hannibal (Mo.) High | No. 239 NATL, No. 17 RB & No. 7 player in Missouri (91.15)

Former Notre Dame running backs coach Deland McCullough’s first running back class was a home run. Williams has already become a key contributor to the 2024 College Football Playoff team, and Young has been waiting in the wings as the program’s next bellcow back. Even though the Irish will likely lose one of college football’s top running back duos after this season in Love, a junior, and senior Jadarian Price, Williams and Young have the talent to make the drop-off manageable.

4. Class of 2006: James Aldridge, Luke Schmidt & Munir Prince (162 average ranking)

  • Aldridge | Crown Point (Ind.) High | No. 28 NATL, No. 6 RB & No. 1 player in Indiana (96.18)
  • Schmidt | Jasper (Ind.) High | No. 143 NATL, No. 21 RB & No. 2 player in Indiana (90.92)
  • Prince | Saint Louis DeSmet Jesuit | No. 315 NATL, No. 38 RB & No. 5 player in Missouri (87.20)

In the internet recruiting era, 2006 was the only year the Irish signed three running backs. It was also the only time Notre Dame secured an On3 Industry Ranking five-star running back in Aldridge. Schmidt and Prine did not pan out, and Aldridge was average. He rushed for 979 yards and 3 touchdowns on 255 carries (3.8 yards per carry) during his Notre Dame career.

3. Class of 2026: Javian Osborne and Jonaz Walton (122 average ranking)

  • Osborne | Forney (Texas) High | No. 112 NATL, No. 8 RB & No. 17 player in Texas (92.95)
  • Walton | Carrollton (Ga.) Central | No. 132 NATL, No. 10 RB & No. 17 player in Georgia (92.27)

If Osborne and Walton maintain their ranking, they’ll be the third-best running back duo to sign with the Irish in the internet recruiting era. As the Nos. 8 and 10 running backs in their class, Osborne and Walton are arguably second, since Greg Bryant and Tarean Folston ranked Nos. 7 and 17 at their position in a loaded running back class in 2013. Osborne and Walton both come from states with outstanding high school football programs, so their transition to South Bend should be seamless.

2. Class of 2007: Armando Allen & Robert Hughes (88 average ranking)

  • Allen | Hialeah (Fla.) Hialeah-Miami | No. 86 NATL, No. 9 RB & No. 12 player in Florida (92.62)
  • Hughes | Chicago Hubbard | No. 90 NATL, No. 10 RB & No. 3 player in Illinois (92.18)

As top-100 recruits, Allen and Hughes were instrumental in helping the Irish achieve a top-five recruiting class for a second consecutive year. Both became integral to the Notre Dame offense, too. Allen developed into one of the top all-around players in program history, recording 2,144 rushing yards, 833 receiving yards, and 1,247 kick return yards. Hughes added 1,392 rushing yards (15 touchdowns) and 370 receiving yards during his career. Allen spent two years in the pros, while Hughes had a six-year NFL career.

1. Class of 2013: Greg Bryant & Tarean Folston (67.5 average ranking)

  • Bryant | Delray Beach (Fla.) American Heritage | No. 41 NATL, No. 7 RB & No. 10 player in Florida (96.56)
  • Folston | Cocoa (Fla.) High | No. 94 NATL, No. 17 RB & No. 18 player in Florida (94.37)

The aforementioned Bryant and Folston are Notre Dame’s top running back duo in the internet recruiting era. Rivals considered Bryant a five-star prospect, ranking him as the No. 19 overall player and No. 3 running back in the class. The late Bryant spent two years in South Bend, rushing for 303 yards and 3 scores before transferring to UAB. Folston had a much more successful career for the Irish, posting 1,712 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, along with 291 receiving yards and 1 touchdown.

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