Nolan James Jr. holds the RB · Backup spot in Notre Dame Fighting Irish’s running back room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Nolan James Jr. logged a 5.6% overall usage rate in 2025.

Nolan James Jr. is a 5'10", 212-pound running back from Westwood, New Jersey, who attended DePaul Catholic. A four-star recruit ranked 302nd nationally in the 2025 class, he was recognized as the 2024 MaxPreps New Jersey High School Football Player of the Year and accumulated 5,911 all-purpose yards with 45 touchdowns in his prep career. In 2025, his first season with Notre Dame, James appeared in four games as a freshman rusher. He carried the ball 14 times for 37 yards, with a long run of 15 yards, and added one kickoff return for 19 yards.

Notre Dame2025 — present