Nolan James Jr. is an American college football running back for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Early life James Jr. attended Don Bosco Preparatory High School in Ramsey, New Jersey prior to transferring to DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne, New Jersey before his junior year. As a senior in 2024, he was the NJ football offensive player of the year. For his high school career, James Jr. totaled 5,911 all-purpose yards and 45 touchdowns. He originally committed to play college football Boston College before flipping his commitment to the University of Notre Dame.
College career In his first year at Notre Dame in 2025, James Jr. played in four games and had 14 carries for 37 yards. He earned more playing time to start the 2026 season. He had his first career 100-yard rushing game against Michigan State, rushing 26 times for 121 yards with a touchdown.
Statistics Year Team GP Rushing Receiving Att Yds Avg TD Rec Yds Avg TD 2025 Notre Dame 4 14 37 2.6 0 0 0 – 0 2026 Notre Dame 3 39 169 4.3 3 7 73 10.4 1Career 7 53 206 3.9 3 7 73 10.4 1
Personal life His father, Nolan James Sr., played college football at the University of New Haven.
References
External links Notre Dame Fighting Irish bio