Film Don't Lie | Nolan James
Notre Dame fans have been very happy with the talent they’ve had in the backfield in recent seasons, but certainly weren’t as thrilled with the 2025 running back recruiting. I think that’s going to change for a lot of them once they take a longer look at the newest commitment in the 2025 class, RB Nolan James.
His ranking might not get people out of their seats, but his film should. James has had an elite senior season and his traits are impressive.
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 200
Projected Position: Running back
ISD Grade: 89 (3-star)
National Average Grade: 86.6 (3-star)
What he does best:
James has great feet. He can make a defender miss in a phone booth and has good acceleration out of his cuts.
He has good receiving skills and does a great job making defenders miss in space. He can be a weapon in the screen game.
He shows the strength to run through arm tackles and has solid contact balance. He will drop his pads in short yardage and finish runs strong.
Some guys just have an understanding of how to set up second and third level defenders as a runner and I believe James has that.
What he needs to improve:
He played receiver before and while that’s something that will help him as an every down back, he hasn’t had as many reps playing running back as some other prospects.
I don’t have available athletic testing numbers for him, but I don’t think he has that extra gear that players like Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price have. He hits home runs in high school, but I think he’s more of a doubles hitter who may need to one-cut and go a bit more often in college.
What’s his ceiling?
I thought about having him as a 4-star prospect, but whether or not I bump him up later on, I think it’s obvious that his general rating won’t stay where it is now. Notre Dame fans are used to backs who thrive on making defenders miss and gaining yards after contact. Those are two very strong areas of James’ game.
I think James can develop into a very effective zone runner and the more I have watched him, the more he reminds of former LSU RB Derrius Guice. The Irish played against him in the 2017 Citrus Bowl and he was someone who ran hard through contact and had the feet and vision to make defenders miss once he broke through the line.
I think Notre Dame’s staff did a great job of going after another underrated talent who could end up being a steal.
Who he could be:
Former LSU RB Derrius Guice
Men's Colosseum Green Notre Dame Fighting Irish Logo Lockup Active Blend Long Sleeve T-Shirt Hoodie
