Irish Breakdown

Notre Dame Football Recruiting: 4 Running Backs to Target in the 2025 Class

Notre Dame and 2025 three-star running back, Daniel Anderson, mutually parted ways late on Thursday night which leaves the Irish in the market for another back in the class

Nathan Erbach

Notre Dame running back Aneyas Williams (20) Saturday, April 20, 2024, at the annual Notre Dame Blue-Gold spring football game at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend.
Notre Dame running back Aneyas Williams (20) Saturday, April 20, 2024, at the annual Notre Dame Blue-Gold spring football game at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. / MANDATORY CREDIT GREG SWIERCZ / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Notre Dame Football Recruiting

Late Thursday night, now former Notre Dame running back commit, Daniel Anderson, announced his departure from the 2025 class. That leaves the Irish with four-star Justin Thurman out of Jesuit High School in Tampa, Florida as the lone running back this cycle.

Notre Dame has a crowded room in South Bend right now. If all current running backs on the roster with eligibility return in 2025, that would give the Irish six scholarship running backs when Justin Thurman officially enters the room.

It remains uncertain whether Notre Dame will pursue a second running back to complete the 2025 recruiting class. However, if recent trends continue, head coach Marcus Freeman and running backs coach Deland McCullough are likely to add talent if they find it suitable.

Given the new landscape of NIL and the transfer portal, relying on the return of all current players to return could leave them in a difficult situation.

With that in mind, here’s a list of four 2025 running backs I believe Notre Dame should target.

Isaiah West, Four-Star, St. Joseph's Prep, Pennsylvania

Depending on the source, the Ohio State commit is listed between 5'11" and 6'1", weighing between 200 and 215 pounds. Regardless, this is an excellent build for a high school running back. Hailing from the same school as 2025 Notre Dame linebacker commit Anthony Sacca, there’s a natural connection for recruiting West.

Flipping a recruit committed to a national powerhouse is never easy, but Ohio State has one of the best running backs in 2025 committed to them already in Bo Jackson. Reaching out is certainly worth a shot.

247Sports is the only recruiting service to rank West as a four-star prospect, placing him as the No. 12 running back in the class. The next closest ranking comes from On3, which lists him as the No. 31 running back nationally.

Waltez Clark, Four-Star, Plant HS, Florida

The Tampa, Florida native has been committed to Florida for over a year, making this a potentially challenging flip. However, with Florida facing a long season ahead and rumors of a coaching change swirling around the program, multiple recruits may begin looking elsewhere. Clark has also received several new offers and taken visits since his commitment to Florida, which often indicates a recruit's openness to other programs.

Notre Dame is actively recruiting another Gators commit, defensive lineman Jalen Wiggins from Tallahassee. The Irish coaching staff also has a prior relationship with Clark, having offered him back in April 2023.

Listed at around 6'1" and 195 pounds, the speedy four-star would be a valuable late addition to the 2025 class.

Marquise Davis, Four-Star, Cleveland Heights HS, Ohio

Another prospect with a previous Notre Dame offer, Davis is currently committed to Kentucky. Early last year, after receiving his offer from the Irish, this recruitment seemed one to watch closely. However, at that time, Notre Dame Defensive Coordinator Al Golden offered Davis as a linebacker.

The consensus four-star running back from Cleveland, Ohio, is a significant talent in the offensive backfield and deserves another look to see if he can be swayed from his long-standing commitment to Kentucky.

Davis is a sturdy running back, listed at 6'0" and 210 pounds, and he would complement Justin Thurman well in the 2025 class. He also possesses impressive speed, much like the Notre Dame commit.

John Forster, Three-Star, St. Joseph's Regional, New Jersey

It wasn't long ago that Notre Dame offered a borderline four-star, under-recruited prospect from St. Joseph's Regional High School late in the recruiting cycle, who was committed to another program. That player turned out to be a great addition for the Irish. His name is Audric Estime, a name Notre Dame fans know very well.

Fast forward a few years, and there’s another talented running back prospect from Estime's alma mater who should absolutely be on Notre Dame's radar.

Through four games this season, the 5'10", 185-pound Rutgers commit has recorded 212 rushing yards and two touchdowns, along with 98 receiving yards and one touchdown.

Rivals ranks Forster as a four-star prospect, while 247Sports, On3, and ESPN list him as a three-star. However, his rankings show some significant discrepancies; On3 places him as the No. 90 running back nationally, whereas Rivals has him as high as No. 6. 247Sports and ESPN provide a more neutral view, ranking him as the No. 26 and No. 35 running back in the country, respectively.

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Nathan Erbach
NATHAN ERBACH

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