BREAKING | 2025 RB Justin Thurman Commits to Notre Dame
Notre Dame doesn’t dip into Florida often, but given 2025 Jesuit (Fla.) running back Justin Thurman’s ties to St. Louis, the Irish staff quickly made him a priority and the four-star prospect returned the favor with an early commitment.
It was a quick recruitment as Notre Dame offered Thurman on May 25th and speedster made his way to campus in mid-June for camp. This weekend, the 6-foot, 185-pounder returned to campus for a second look and ended his recruitment.
Running backs coach Deland McCullough was a significant piece to the early pledge, but Thurman also got a great feel for how he’d be coached during camp.
“I think he's great,” Thurman said. “He's very informative on his feedback and just his coaching style, just how he explained things is great and just helps the players continue to fine-tune their skills.”
Marcus Freeman and Chad Bowden have also been involved in Thurman’s recruitment, which has allowed him to truly feel how the program in run, but also how he’d be treated at Notre Dame.
“The coaching staff and the way that they just run things at Notre Dame is very intriguing to me,” explained Thurman. “The emphasis on family, the emphasis on hard work and dedication is definitely a major thing for me. That's what they present at Notre Dame.”
Outside of football, Thurman was also impressed with the opportunities he’d receive in South Bend on the academic side, which made it a perfect match.
“The main thing is the academic part,” Thurman stated. “I know that Notre Dame is famous for its high academics and basically being a great school for opportunities after football as well in terms connections, opportunities.
“And in terms of football, the elite coaching and the preparation for things like the NFL and other professional opportunities is great. I believe Coach Freeman and the whole coaching staff and Coach McCullough are doing great things at Notre Dame. I feel like they're putting the team and the program in the best position for success.”
Thurman, who ran a verified 4.52 this spring, is the first running back in Notre Dame’s 2025 class as he joins tight end Nate Roberts and defensive lineman Davion Dixon in the class.
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Offers: Auburn, Central Florida, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, Florida, Florida A&M, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kansas State, Louisville, Middle Tennessee State, NC State, Notre Dame, Purdue, Rutgers, Tennessee, Toledo, UAB and Vanderbilt
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