What the experts are saying about new Notre Dame commit Justin Thurman
Notre Dame’s third commitment of the 2025 cycle is in, with Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit’s Justin Thurman — the No. 259 prospect and No. 24 running back per the On3 Industry Ranking — picking the Irish over Florida, Tennessee and others.
What do the experts think about the newest addition to Notre Dame’s 2025 class?
On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power:
“With Justin Thurman, you have to start off with his burst. This is a player who shows a lot of juice in every setting. He ran well at Under Armour’s Orlando camp; he ran an electronic 4.5 40-yard dash. He carries that speed over to the track. He had strong times for a rising junior this year; he had a couple times under 11 seconds in the 100-meter race.
“And you watch what he did in the spring, and you have to be really encouraged with how he’s continued to develop. He has a lot of pace as a runner and catches well out of the backfield. You can see a big progression from the fall of his sophomore year to the spring.
“He’s a guy who we have with an 89 grade right now, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how he plays as a junior with a larger sample size. He looks to be considerably improved from his sophomore season. Thurman didn’t carry quite the load compared to other 2025 running backs last season, so he’ll get more of an opportunity as a junior.
“Relative to Notre Dame, when you look at what they’ve done at running back, it’s an area they’ve done very well at in the past few cycles — adding playmakers. It’s as talented of a running back room that I can remember. It’s been a while; we’re talking in the last 10 or 15 years. And Justin Thurman has the ability to add to that. There’s a lot of athleticism and playmakers in that room with Jeremiyah Love and Kedren Young, who are top-100 players in their respective cycles. There’s a lot to be excited about for Notre Dame at running back.
“Thurman certainly has ability to push to be a four-star, but a lot of that will hinge on how he plays at Tampa Jesuit and more touches — showing the progress he’s made in the past year.”
Prep Football Report recruiting analyst Tom Lemming:
“He looks pretty good on film. He has decent size, runs well and has good vision. He’ll have a breakout year this fall. It’s a good pickup. Deland McCullough is one of their better recruiters, and he likes this kid a lot. McCullough has great skills as a recruiter. Thurman is a big-time back, but he hasn’t been the starter yet.
“Notre Dame doesn’t recruit by stats. They recruit by who they believe are the best players, and Thurman is very good.”
Blue & Gold analyst Tim Hyde
“The first thing that comes to mine is Thurman he’s fast as can be. He has SEC speed. You get the ball to him on the perimeter and let him make plays. This guy will go the distance in the blink of an eye … A couple of the guys I instantly thought of in comparing Thurman is Chris Tyree — a running back who is now playing slot — and Theo Riddick, a guy who could run the ball off tackle and be a heck of a slot.
“He’s a multi-purpose type of guy, and the biggie is his athleticism. He’s fast, and he’s only in the class of 2025. He’s only been in high school for two years.”
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