Notre Dame football gets one step closer to closing on one of the biggest weapons the West Coast has to offer

Last week, Notre Dame football got one step closer to potentially closing one of the very best playmakers on the West Coast. 2026 Valencia (Calif.) High School star running back Brian Bonner released his updated top five schools list, which included the Fighting Irish. They were joined by Penn State, Nebraska, Washington, and UCLA.

For the first time, Bonner visited South Bend a few weeks ago. The Notre Dame program made a huge impression after already have generated high interest previously. There are some of the Irish side that like their chances right now. Getting Bonner back on campus for an official visit will be huge. If they do, I also like their chances.

Running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider has been tremendous on the recruiting trail since coming over from Penn State. They are considered the front runner for Texas star Javian Osborne who will be selecting between Notre Dame and Michigan on May 3rd. There is interest in taking two running backs in the class, and the staff likes Bonner a lot.

Bonner is considered a borderline Top-100 recruit by a couple of the major recruiting platforms. On the 247Sports Composite ranking, Bonner is rated as the No. 105 overall player, No. 8 running back, and No. 14 player in the state of California in the 2026 recruiting class. California has a tremendous track record of developing a ton of talent, and Notre Dame has tapped into it over the years.

There is an elite group of standout programs that have been pursuing Bonner, even outside of his finalists. Some of his top offers include Notre Dame, Georgia, Oregon, Michigan, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Penn State, Auburn, USC, Nebraska, Utah, Washington, Arizona State, Missouri, UCLA, Michigan State, SMU, Minnesota, Arizona, Cal, Duke, Kansas, Stanford, and Northwestern among many others.