notre dame offers 2028 rb xander edwards
Notre Dame has officially extended an offer to 2028 running back Xander Edwards, with Marcus Freeman and his staff picking up the legacy recruit over the weekend. The offer continues a trend that has defined the Freeman era — Notre Dame football has continuously prioritized both Fighting Irish legacies and NFL sons, with players like Bryce Young, Devin Fitzgerald, Kaydon Finley, James Flanigan, Jerome Bettis Jr. and Elijah Burress all landing with the Irish as recruits in recent years. Betting on genetics has been a constant under this staff.
But this offer is about much more than bloodlines. Xander Edwards is the seventh-rated running back in the 2028 cycle according to the 247Sports composite ratings, and Notre Dame is undeniably a top destination for running backs right now. With Notre Dame running backs coach Je'Juan Seider being notably patient and selective with his offers in this cycle, the decision to extend one to Edwards says everything about how highly the staff views his fit in South Bend's backfield of the future.
The Legacy Connection
Edwards is the son of former Notre Dame great Marc Edwards, who rushed for 1,591 yards and 27 touchdowns in four seasons from 1993 to 1996. The elder Edwards also played nine seasons in the NFL, including for the 2001 Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. Inheriting his father's elite size and physical mentality, Xander has spent his early high school career carving out his own legacy in the talent-rich state of Florida.
The Production Backs Up Every Bit of the Hype
Edwards was already a notable performer for the Bolles School as just a freshman two years ago — in 12 games, he rushed for 558 yards and eight touchdowns, an average of 7.2 yards per carry, while adding 46 receiving yards on four catches.
It was his sophomore season that turned him into a national name. As the featured back for Bolles School in 2025, Edwards exploded for 2,629 yards and 44 touchdowns on just 265 carries — an average of just under 10 yards per carry — while also hauling in 17 receptions for 211 yards through the air. That includes a game against Baldwin where he scored his eighth rushing touchdown of the night, a feat that, per NFHS record books, would make him the first Florida high school football player ever to accomplish.
Per MaxPreps, Edwards has piled up 3,187 career rushing yards on a 9.3 yards-per-carry average, ranking him among the national stat leaders at the position.
The Size-Speed Profile Notre Dame Covets
At a listed 6-2, 220 pounds, Edwards carries the kind of frame that immediately stands out at the high school level — and the testing numbers back up that he's not just a big back, but an explosive one. Edwards has been clocked with a 4.80 in the 40-yard dash, a 4.65 shuttle and a 28.5-inch vertical — numbers that reflect legitimate speed and explosiveness for a back already pushing 220 pounds as a sophomore.
That combination of breakaway speed and bruising, between-the-tackles size is exactly what makes Edwards such an intriguing complement to the other running backs already on Notre Dame's 2028 board. Acely Brown and Zaiden Jernigan each bring their own distinct skill sets to the position, and Edwards' size-speed profile would round out a backfield class with real positional diversity — a power-and-burst combination back who can both punish defenses inside and outrun them to the second level, pairing alongside backs with different stylistic strengths to give Notre Dame's offensive staff multiple ways to attack a defense out of the same personnel grouping.
A Crowded, High-Profile Recruitment
More than 35 teams have offered Edwards, including Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Indiana, Miami, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio State, Penn State, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wisconsin, among many others. Miami has reportedly been at the top of his recruitment following a Legends Camp experience, and On3's industry prediction data currently shows Florida and USF among the schools drawing the most buzz, with Notre Dame now squarely entering that conversation following the offer.
The Rankings Across the Industry
Edwards' rapid rise on the recruiting trail is reflected across every major service. On the 247Sports Composite, Edwards is rated a four-star prospect — the No. 117 overall player in the country, the No. 7 running back nationally, and the No. 17 player in the state of Florida for the 2028 class. He is rated a four-star and top-150 overall prospect by every major recruiting platform. On3 has him as the No. 141 player nationally and the No. 8 running back in the class, with a composite-style rating of .9532 placing him at No. 117 nationally and No. 7 at his position — essentially mirroring the 247Sports numbers. ESPN's recruiting database lists Edwards similarly among the class's premier running back talents.
The Bottom Line
It's by no means a guarantee that Notre Dame ends up landing Edwards after this offer, but the fit is hard to ignore. Notre Dame isn't perfect when it comes to recruiting sons of former Fighting Irish players, but it lands those commitments a lot more often than it misses.
With Je'Juan Seider's patient approach finally yielding an offer to one of the most explosive backs in the 2028 class, and with Edwards' size-speed combination offering a natural complement to fellow 2028 targets Acely Brown and Zaiden Jernigan, Notre Dame's running back room of the future is starting to take shape — and a legacy name with elite production and a frame built for the position is now squarely in the mix to be a part of it.
cj carr ranked as top returning qb in college football
Fighting Irish starting quarterback, CJ Carr, is the betting favorite to win the Heisman trophy according to FanDuel, and was recently picked by ESPN analyst Bill Connelly as the top ranked returning quarterback in the country.
The ESPN ranking is based on "stats, trends and recent performances." That equation led to Connelly placing Carr as the nation's top quarterback, ahead of Ohio State sophomore Julian Sayin. Carr will be Marcus Freeman’s first returning starter at the position and the success of the Fighting Irish rest on what many expect to be an impressive season.
Connelly’s Take:
"He sort of looked like a redshirt freshman against Miami in Week 1 of last season, but that was about it. He fell just short of leading a comeback win against the Hurricanes, then pretty much torched all other opposition. Sure, he had a spectacular run game at his disposal -- Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price combined for 2,046 yards and 29 touchdowns (and are both gone now) -- but Notre Dame ranked first nationally in third-and-long success rate (7 or more yards to go). When Carr had to make a throw, he did so.
"Carr isn't exactly your modern dual-threat guy; he doesn't scramble much, and he's not a threat to punish defenses for turning their backs on the QB in man coverage. But he also doesn't take sacks, both because of quick decision-making and the fact that he might have the best offensive line in the country protecting him. He's accurate, he has a big arm, and by the end of 2025 he was one of the most reliable passers in the sport.
"While three of last year's four main wideouts are gone, the return of Jordan Faison, plus 2024 playoff hero Jaden Greathouse (back from an injury redshirt) will help, as will the addition of two recent blue-chippers from Ohio State (Mylan Graham, Quincy Porter). Carr should have most of what he needs, and even if the run game regresses a bit, there's no reason to think he won't continue to come through on third down." - Connelly
Carr earned second team Freshman All-American honors last season after passing for 2,741 yards and 24 touchdowns while completing just under 67-percent of his passes. He ranked second in all of college football with a 9.4 yards per attempt average and ranked fifth with a passer rating of 168.06, and his passer rating set a new Notre Dame record, shattering the mark that was previously tied by Jimmy Clausen in 2009. Carr also ranked 4th in the country with a 14.1 per completion average.
Notre dame offer ‘27 ath brennen lacey
The Fighting Irish continue to search for explosive playmakers and they recently offered 2027 6-1 187-pound ATH Brennen Lacey of Frisco (Texas) Frisco, who posted 812 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns in 9 games. Lacey was more than excited to get the call from Irish running back coach Je’Juan Seider.
“It’s not even a feeling man,” Lacey told Lucky Lefty. “I’m just blessed. I’ve always dreamed about playing for Notre Dame. I’ve been talking to Coach Seider lately, but when he called and gave me the offer, I couldn’t believe it.”
Lacey is unranked right now, but has picked up offers from Notre Dame and Ohio State in the last 24 hours. He already has three spring visits lined up, but the Fighting Irish will definitely be getting his fourth.
“Yes, I’m going to be visiting them,” Lacey said. “Right now I’m visiting Oklahoma State, TCU and Western Kentucky. I’m going to finalize things this week and I can’t wait to get there.”
The Irish staff loves his big play capability and versatility as a pass-catcher. His film shows a great athlete that is just beginning to scratch the surface as a running back after starting at wide receiver as a sophomore. The Fighting Irish just produced a Heisman finalist running back (Jeremiyah Love) that was viewed as a great athlete coming out of high school and Lacey has been one of his biggest fans.
“They like my big play capability,” Lacey shared. “I’m very versatile and I feel like I’m very elusive and efficient. I watch Jeremiyah Love a lot. I study Saquon, Jeremiyah, and a few others. But, him (Jeremiyah) and Ashton Jeanty were my number ones.”