Notre Dame Impressing Top 2026 RB Javian Osborne
2026 Forney (Texas) running back Javian Osborne has quickly become a national recruit over the last few months, which isn’t a huge surprise given he ran for 2,231 yards and scored 41 touchdowns as a sophomore.
The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder holds just about every offer one could have in Texas, but Notre Dame is an out-of-state program that has made quite the impression on Osborne in recent weeks.
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman was on the phone with Osborne last week as Osborne calls the Irish staff every Wednesday to catch up.
“Coach Freeman is a real cool guy. He’s just like a real chill, calm and relaxed coach,” Osborne told ISD. “They show a lot of love. They love me and want to get me up there.”
Deland McCullough has also made an early impression as his resume speaks for itself. Yet, Osborne has been learning how McCullough develops and prepares his guys for the NFL as few have done it as consistently over the last 10 years.
“Coach McCullough always tells me he has put running backs in the NFL,” explained Osborne. “He’s a great coach and he won an NFL coaching award a few years ago. He puts guys out there.
“That’s exactly what I’m looking for. I’m looking for a coach who knows what it takes to get to the NFL and develop a young athlete. At the running position, it’s all about longevity.”
The Forney star is approaching 20 offers, and while Osborne admits the recruiting process can be overwhelming, he also has embraced the process as this is what he’s worked for since he was a youngster.
“I know I was made for this,” said Osborne. “I’ve been working hard ever since I was really young. It really didn’t surprise me when the big schools started coming in early. I’ve worked for it, so I was just waiting on my time and here it is right now.
“It really gets stressful. There are so many business decisions you have to make, but it’s enjoyable. You really enjoy it because this is what you work for. It’s an amazing experience talking to all these different schools you watch on television every Saturday. I think of it as a blessing. I’m very grateful and I thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
As for his spring visit schedule, Osborne has locked in two visits and is hoping to get one to Notre Dame finalized sooner than later.
“We’re still trying to make a plan to get out to Notre Dame,” stated Osborne. “If not in the spring, it will be in the summer. Right now, the two visits I have locked in are Baylor and I have Oklahoma next weekend.”
Osborne also takes a mature approach to each visit. Sure, there is fun to be had, but he’s also making sure to ask important questions and observe how people around the program conduct themselves.
“When I first go on these visits, I want to see the campus and the culture,” said Osborne. “I recognize how the culture is and how the coaches coach their players. I’ll try to ask how they would utilize me in the offense and then I’ll jot notes down to see how that coach really is. That’s the main thing when you go on these visits, you get to see who is really for you and who isn’t. You get to see who will really keep it real with you.”
Offers: Baylor, Central Florida, Georgia, Houston, Louisville, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Pitt, SMU, Stanford, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, USC, Utah, UTSA, Washington and Wisconsin
Sophomore Highlights
