"No. 1 I love that they run the ball": Four-star RB target Javian Osborne gives Michigan an edge in his recruitment

Michigan's recruitment effort continues to shine, and one of the Wolverines' targets for the 2026 class is four-star running back Javian Osborne. On3's Steve Wiltfong said that Sherrone Moore's program is the leader in Osborne's recruitment.

“No. 1 I love that they run the ball," Osborne told On3. "They utilize their running backs.”

Tony Alford, Michigan’s running backs coach and primary recruiter for Osborne, was praised for keeping consistent communication.

"They've been in the picture ever since Coach TA stepped in the office," Osborne said. "Coach Tony Alford, since he got there, we've been talking every day, communicating every day. So, yeah, Michigan is in the picture."

Osborne’s father, Maurice Osborne Jr., also weighed in on the recruitment process by retweeting updates on X:

"Still some time out from making a decision but yes Michigan got a lot of momentum going👀."

Michigan's 19-13 win against Alabama during the ReliaQuest Bowl on Tuesday in Moore's first season, should attract Osborne to the program even more. The school has two commits in the 2026 class: Brody Jennings and Jaylen Pile.

Javian Osborne wants to pair up with Savion Hiter in Michigan

Javian Osborne is the No. 6 running back in the 2026 class and the No. 75 prospect in the nation, as per the On3 Industry Rankings. Besides him, one of the key targets for Michigan's 2026 class is four-star Savion Hiter, the No. 1 running back in the cycle.

Osborne revealed his interest in potentially pairing up with Hiter in Michigan's 2026 class, saying (via On3):

“We can be that Sonic and Knuckles duo."

The Texas Longhorns lead the race for Osborne with a 79.9% chance of securing his commitment, according to On3's Recruiting Prediction Machine. Meanwhile, Hiter appears to be leaning towards Ohio State, with the Buckeyes holding a 23.2% chance of landing the top back.

Sherrone Moore proved his recruitment caliber by flipping five-star prospect Bryce Underwood in the 2025 class.

Adding Osborne and Hiter to Michigan’s 2026 class would be a big win for the Wolverines. It would follow recent recruiting successes of top running back pairs like four-star 2025 class prospects Jasper Parker and Donovan Johnson.