Notre Dame Football Close to Landing Running Back from ACC Rival
The Notre Dame football team is working hard to finalize its 2025 recruiting class, just weeks before National Signing Day. One strategy they’ve been using recently is targeting players committed to other programs.
This weekend, as the Irish face Florida State, head coach Marcus Freeman and his staff will host several high-profile recruits, including Nolan James from DePaul Catholic in New Jersey. James, a 3-star running back, is currently committed to Boston College but will be visiting South Bend.
While in town, James is not only considering joining the Notre Dame program, but reports suggest he may be on the verge of flipping from the Golden Eagles. On3 gives him an 88% chance of switching teams.
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound James caught the attention of Notre Dame earlier this fall. According to On3, he’s ranked among the top 30 recruits in New Jersey and the No. 53 athlete nationally for the 2025 class.
Notre Dame is looking to secure a second running back for the class to join 3-star Justin Thurman from Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit. If James commits, he would essentially fill the spot left by 3-star running back Daniel Anderson, who decommitted earlier this year.
This would not be the first time the Irish have quickly pivoted to a new recruit. After losing quarterback Deuce Knight, they added his replacement, Blake Hebert, just days later. Now, it appears they are on track to secure another key commitment in the same fashion, possibly as soon as this weekend.
