Four-star class of 2026 running back recruit KJ Edwards picked up an offer from Notre Dame on March 3. He recently spoke about the national finalists, including one Fighting Irish player in particular.
KJ Edwards Talks Irish Offer, Lauds Jeremiyah Love
KJ Edwards, an elite 5-foot-11, 165-pound class of 2026 running back from Carthage, Tx., recently added a Notre Dame offer to a loaded list headlined by most of the Lone Star State staples, including Texas and Texas A&M.
Elite RB recruit KJ Edwards is learning more about Notre Dame after it offered him earlier this month.
“I know they run the ball. They have a critical running back, No. 4, the (Jeremiyah) Love kid. He’s a dog, no matter what.”
More from Edwards: https://t.co/qb7zXjswvw pic.twitter.com/zwNdTQojI2
— Kyle Kelly (@ByKyleKelly) March 13, 2025
New Notre Dame running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider extended the offer on March 3rd to Edwards, who rushed for 1,789 yards and 23 touchdowns while averaging 12.6 yards per carry to lead Carthage High School to the Texas 4A D2 state championship.
Edwards also caught 30 passes for 383 yards and three touchdowns and was named first-team All-State. Although it will be tough for the Fighting Irish to pull Edwards out of Texas, the standout performance of running back Jeremiyah Love is helping Notre Dame’s cause.
Love rushed for 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns as a sophomore to help lead Notre Dame to a 14-2 record and an appearance in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. He was part of a three-headed rushing unit, including quarterback Riley Leonard (906 yards, 17 touchdowns) and fellow Texas native Jadarian Price (746 yards, 7 TDs), that combined for 2,775 yards and 40 touchdowns on the ground.
Along the way, Love’s highlight reel caught the eye of the nation’s No. 4 class of 2026 running back recruit, according to On3 Industry Rankings. Maybe it was Love’s clinching 21-yard touchdown with under two minutes left in a season-opening 23-13 victory over Texas A&M with Edwards in the stands at Kyle Field.
Or, perhaps it was Love’s explosive 98-yard scamper to open the scoring in a 27-17 win over Indiana in the first round of the College Football Playoff. It could have been the countless times Love hurdled over defenders throughout the season.
Those are all possibilities, but one other play stood out to Edwards, On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 4 prospect in Texas and the No. 38 overall player in the 2026 class.
“Against Penn State, he had that two-yard (touchdown) run. He made that two-yard run look incredible,” Edwards recently told Blue & Gold. “He’s a dog, no matter what.”
What’s Next for Edwards and Irish
Edwards told Blue & Gold that Notre Dame views him as a triple threat.
“They like what they see on film,” Edwards said. “I can run the ball, catch the ball and have the ability to block in the passing game.”
Those are all critical attributes for Fighting Irish running backs. Love had 28 catches for 237 yards and two touchdowns in an offense predicated heavily on the run. That should change moving forward with Leonard’s departure.
Seider, head coach Marcus Freeman, and the rest of the Notre Dame coaching staff are looking to schedule Edwards for a visit well ahead of his August 2 commitment date.
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They should make sure to have Leonard in attendance if that does occur.
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