Class 2026 recruit Javian Osborne claims "no surprise" Marcus Freeman's Notre Dame secured No. 2 class in the country

According to a survey by The Athletic on Saturday, heading into Brian Kelly’s last two seasons at Notre Dame, fewer than 30% of fans believed the program could recruit well enough to win a national championship. Now, under Marcus Freeman, that confidence has surged, with 93.6% of fans trusting in the Irish's recruiting efforts.

This isn’t to take anything away from Kelly, but the way the Irish staff is recruiting, particularly with their 2026 class, gives fans every reason to believe. Freeman has already proved he can lead a dominant season capped by a run to the national title game last year, and he is leveraging that success to build an even stronger roster.

Irish running back commit Javian Osborne highlighted this on X, sharing a clip from "The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football Podcast," where Klatt interviewed Freeman two weeks ago. Osborne praised Freeman’s recruiting:

"For anyone that is wondering the difference in Notre Dame Football, Recruiting, etc there is a reason it’s no surprise that we are the No. 2 class in the country when you hear Coach Freeman speaks its life to people’s ears and it’s a reason everyone wants to play for him!"

Osborned added:

"I always say he is a leader amongst young men he knows how to coach and he shows how to do it. I also want to give a huge shout out to the Coaches, an Amazing AD and the ones that help us Student Athletes and also everyone in the Personnel Department.

"Without them we wouldn’t be who we are I can’t stress enough It changes your prospective and it changes your life! One thing I can say is Notre Dame is and will always be Notre Dame #GoIrish☘️."

Four-star tight end Ian Premer just became the latest commitment for Notre Dame’s 2026 class last week, picking the Irish over Iowa State, Kansas State and Kansas. He marks Freeman’s 22nd commitment and 18th blue-chip pledge in this cycle.

The Irish’s momentum shows no sign of slowing. They are the heavy favorite to land three more four-star wide receivers in the 2026 class: Kaydon Finley, Devin Fitzgerald and Brayden Robinson, who are set to announce on July 4, 5 and 6, respectively.

Notre Dame WR commit Dylan Faison shuts down his commitment

Four-star wide receiver Dylan Faison has been committed to Notre Dame since March of 2024, but Miami entered the race for his recruitment earlier this month by making him an offer. However, Faison reaffirmed his commitment to Marcus Freeman's program, telling On3:

"Notre Dame is family. I’m 100 percent locked in."

Faison attends Saint Andrew's School in Boca Raton, Florida. He is the No. 100 wide receiver in the 2026 class and the No. 88 recruit in Florida, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.