Notre Dame picked up a huge commitment when Forney (Texas) High School star Javian Osborne pledged to the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame was looking to make a big splash at running back and they did that by landing Osborne.
JAVIAN OSBORNE PROFILE
Hometown/High School: Forney, Texas/Forney
Height/Weight: 5-10, 190
IB Grade: 4.5 (Top 75 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 5.0 (Top 25 caliber prospect)
Player Comp: JK Dobbins, Ohio State
Recruited By: Ja’Juan Seider
2024 Stats: 184 att., 1,234 yards, 6.7 YPC, 25 TD
2023 Stats: 290 att., 2,231 yards, 7.7 YPC, 41 TD
2022 Stats: 144 att., 977 yards, 6.8 YPC, 8 TD
Offers: Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Florida, Florida State, Texas A&M, Oregon, USC, Miami (Fla.), Oklahoma, Tennessee, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Washington, Wisconsin, UCLA, TCU, Arkansas, Louisville, Michigan State, Missouri, Boston College, Kentucky, Texas Tech, Pittsburgh, SMU, Baylor, Kansas, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Arizona, Houston, Stanford, Utah and UCF.
RECRUITING RANKINGS
ESPN: 4-star – No. 81 overall – No. 6 RB
Rivals: 4-star – No. 89 overall – No. 6 RB
247Sports: 4-star – No. 130 overall – No. 10 RB
On3: 4-star – No. 157 overall – No. 15 RB
247Sports Composite: 4-star – No. 90 overall – No. 6 RB
On3 Consensus: 4-star – No. 106 overall – No. 8 RB
NOTRE DAME FIT
Notre Dame’s run game is down hill based, with Inside Zone, Duo and Counter being their primary runs. Even the Outside Zone in the Notre Dame offense is more of an off-tackle run than a true vertical stretch. Osborne’s combination of explosiveness, vision and cutting ability perfectly suits the Irish offense. He can bounce the Duo and cutback the Zone at a very high level, and he has the home run hitting ability that Notre Dame’s current backfield duo of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price possess. Osborne has the kind of well-built frame, power and physicality to be an every down back in the Irish defense.
FILM ANALYSIS
Osborne is a well-built back that has the frame, size, power and running style to be an every down back. As a runner he has all the tools Notre Dame wants and needs, and he’s shown the ability to be just as effective as a high carry, pound it back as he has as a big play back. He can take and deliver punishment in a way you wouldn’t expect from a back his size.
Osborne has an outstanding first step, which is crucial for a college running back. He explodes out of his stance when working downhill and also shows the ability to plant and explode vertically when working stretch plays, on counter runs where he has to be patient and let his blocks set up, and when working in space. He doesn’t look to have the same kind of acceleration of a back like Jeremiyah Love, but the long speed he does have combines with his initial explosiveness to make him a legit home run back.
The Forney star is an impressive all around athlete. He is a sudden athlete that changes direction with ease, and his contact balance is elite. Combine that with his strong frame, leg drive and natural power and you see why he’s such a hard back to tackle, especially in space. There aren’t many backs who are able to cut and run with the kind of power he does. He’s able to explode on back cuts on the zone and he can bounce outside, quickly accelerate and get to the corner. His efficiency and explosive running style is incredibly impressive.
Athleticism only takes you so far. What makes Osborne one of the nation’s best backs – and top players – is that he also shows an elite feel for the position. He’s patient when he needs to be and takes off when he needs to. His vision and second level anticipation from the backfield is elite, and he does an excellent job setting up defenders in space. Combine that with his top-level agility and he’s a nightmare to bring down in the secondary.
My only technical issue with Osborne is that he doesn’t always put the ball in his outside arm. That eliminates any chance to use a stiff arm and keep defenders. I’d like to see him correct that. In the pass game he isn’t used much by Forney, but in limited opportunities he shows good hands and he’s a major weapon in the screen game for all the same reasons he’s dynamic as a runner.
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