Three schools are at the top for 2026 4-star RB Javian Mallory
Boca Raton (Fla.) West Boca Raton four-star running back Javian Mallory holds offers from 40 schools. Since programs could begin directly contacting him on June 15, seven are making him feel like a priority: Florida State, Georgia, Louisville, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame and Wisconsin.
Mallory visited Florida, Louisville, Miami, Michigan and Syracuse in the spring and hopes to see games this fall at Florida State, Louisville, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame and Tennessee. Miami, Michigan and Notre Dame are currently on the top of Mallory’s list.
“They are telling me where I stand on their board, making sure that I know I’m a priority to them and that I’m the one that they want to get,” Mallory told On3.
Mallory talks Miami, Michigan and Notre Dame
Miami: “It’s right in my backyard. It feels like home each and every time I am down there. The relationships I have built with the coaching staff, the general manager and the equipment staff are great. It feels like home when I go to Miami.”
Michigan: “They are coming off a national championship-winning season. With the type of offense they run, I feel like I can fit in their scheme pretty well. The running backs coach, coach Tony Alford, me and him have a great relationship. He actually coached my uncle when he was at Washington, so our relationship goes way back and he feels like family. Wherever coach Alford goes is somewhere that’s going to be on the top of my list.
“Coach Sherrone Moore has the program in the same direction that coach Jim Harbaugh had it. I feel like there was no drop-off. They’re still going to be a national championship contender each and every year.”
Notre Dame: “Coach Deland McCullough is one of the best running backs coaches in the game right now and he can take my game to the next level.”
“I haven’t been there yet, but they are in my top three because of my relationships with coach McCullough and coach Marcus Freeman and what I believe they can do for me,” he added. “Going up there for the first time and seeing the city, seeing how they practice and seeing how they coach is going to be huge.”
Mallory knows what he wants in a school
Mallory plans to take official visits before announcing his commitment, which may come next summer. Seeing schools in person is important to the No. 31 player in Florida.
“When I go to a school, I want to see if I can see myself going there and staying there for three-to-four years,” said Mallory, the No. 171 overall prospect and No. 13 running back in the 2026 On3 Industry Ranking. “Can I play for this coach and be in this facility each and every day around the players? It is also big for my parents to get a feel for the environment that I’m going to be around for three-to-four years.”
Being able to directly contact coaches is playing a role in Mallory’s recruitment. Speaking with them has allowed him to learn more about what schools offer a “family” environment that can be his home away from home.
There is still a good amount of time remaining in Mallory’s recruitment. Yet the four-star already knows what is important to him in a school.
“The coaching staff and stability matter,” Mallory said. “I don’t want to go to a school and then, the coaching staff leaves for another job. I am also looking at the program’s culture, the winning history of the program and the academics. There is a lot that will go into my decision.”
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