Marcus Freeman’s 4,522-Yard Jackpot Nearly Confirmed After CJ Carr Learns His Notre Dame Fate

We’re well and truly in the depths of the off-season now. Saturdays shall remain vacant for a while. The NFL draft and its chaotic pageantry just ended. Spring camp has also ceased. College Football really is on pause right now. But the drama never seems to cease, and fiends sure need their fix. The ‘26 recruiting cycle now takes precedence over the foreseeable. Notre Dame, who’ve stacked momentum year in and year out under HC Marcus Freeman, have an opportunity to continue doing that. Well, St. Patrick’s Day just went by. But the Irish still have plenty of reason to celebrate, courtesy of their program taking strides on the recruitment front.

Notre Dame’s modus operandi offensively has been running the football. Even their previous quarterback, Riley Leonard was that archetype of player. Something that’s merited him getting picked in the draft over the weekend. But while having a QB who can move the chains with heir legs is a bonus, the potency of your rushing game really just boils down to your running backs. Jeremiyah Love has been a demon in the backfield for Coach Freeman’s Irish. But his stint in the collegiate game ends soon, so ND have a succession plan already in place.

4-star Javian Osborne, the no.6 RB in this class, has been atop the wishlist of tailback prospects for Marcus Freeman and Ja’Juan Seider. In fact, the latter’s arrival as associate head coach and RBs coach has really accentuated how well Notre Dame has been able to recruit the position. He has almost single-handedly gotten the school into the Osborne sweepstakes. For the uninitiated, here’s a timeline how how this process has unfolded so far. The Texas native out of Forney was initially expected to enroll with the in-state Texas Longhorns. However, Michigan began gaining traction in the race and fended off UT. The aforementioned Seider then got into action and brought Notre Dame into the fray. So much so that they have made the final shortlist for Javian Osborne, alongside Michigan. 247Sports has now reported when the decision will be announced.

Javian Osborne is slated to make his pick, live on camera, over the 247Sports YouTube on May 3rd, 6pm Eastern. Both Marcus Freeman and his Sherrone Moore have reason to believe their respective programs will eventually win out. Osborne was in South Bend for Notre Dame’s spring game earlier this month. However, he was also in Ann Arbor the next weekend. But amidst the ambiguity, “Locked On Irish” podcast’s Tyler Wojciak has made his prediction on where he sees Osborne land. “I’ll admit, I was a little bit nervous about the trip to Michigan,” he said. “Because it felt like they were kind of getting the last say on the matter… I was like, ‘Hey, who knows?’ Maybe they send in a godfather offer. [RB coach] Tony Alford just convinces him to come to Michigan,” prefaced Wojciak. Despite this, he then proceeded to air confidence from a Notre Dame perspective.

Top 100 RB Javian Osborne is here for a huge visit

He will decide between Michigan and Notre Dame May 3.

His On3 profile: https://t.co/JWLNiBNeuK pic.twitter.com/Mf7MjOW6I1

— Ethan McDowell (@ethanmmcdowell) April 19, 2025

“Ever since that visit and all the reporting that’s been out there, it feels like that was a formality more than anything. Notre Dame is in a really good spot. I expect [Javian Osborne] to pick the Irish on Saturday. Obviously, we’re gonna have to wait and see for him to announce it and make it official. But I certainly like Notre Dame’s chances here,” claimed Tyler Wojciak. Shoutout Ja’Juan Seider, who’s brought that recruiting juice he had with Penn State over to South Bend. Marcus Freeman sure would hope Osborne picks his program and becomes his subordinate Seider’s first RB recruit. But while the picture 2026 onward looks rosy, Notre Dame can’t lose sight of the present. Coach Freeman’s and his OC Mike Denbrock have a Riley Leonard-shaped void to fill. The Irish’s QB battle, featuring CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey, has just seen a fresh wrinkle.

Marcus Freeman’s QB conundrum is drawing to a potential close with CJ Carr

Notre Dame’s Blue & Gold spring game wasn’t just important because Javian Osborne was in town. It was an important litmus test for CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey. An opportunity for the inexperienced pair to showcase their skill and mettle in a pseudo-competitive environment. At least an environment where the scrutiny on those two, especially, would be on 11. Carr supposedly went into the game as the frontrunner. He’d be pleased to know a national analyst thinks he has now solidified his spot atop the depth chart. In a video posted to the On3 YouTube channel in the aftermath of the spring game, J.D PicKell waxed lyrical about former 4-star Carr.

“CJ Carr has a whip for an arm. You watched that spring game—made some special throws. Couple throws where you say, ‘Okay, that’s…that’s a little bit different than we’ve seen here in the past in South Bend.’ That’s something that maybe we could let loose a little bit more in 2025, based on Steve Angeli transferring out and what I think is true about that quarterback room right now,” said PicKell. Angeli, who backed up Riley Leonard last year and was the most senior statesman in that QB room, has departed for Syracuse. A move that stemmed from him likely learning he won’t be the starter for Marcus Freeman’s Irish. PicKell proceeded to explicitly say, “I’d be shocked if [Carr] does not start Game 1 against Miami.”

There’s an argument that CJ Carr is the more talented QB through the air compared to Riley Leonard. If that transpires on the field, it’ll unlock a new dynamic for the offense. A dynamic that’ll alleviate the load on the running game and, by extension, running backs. Jeremiah Love shall be the primary beneficiary this season. But there’s every chance it’s Javan Osborne 2026 on, complementing Carr in the backfield. We’ll find out for certain on May 3rd, but Tyler Wojciak’s quiet confidence does bode well. There’s no smoke without fire, and he could be privy to some intel he’s refraining from letting out. Marcus Freeman will hope to beat out Michigan and make a statement against the bluebloods.

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