Zaiden Jernigan Commits to Notre Dame

The Louisville, Mississippi running back chose Notre Dame over nine other programs that had offered him, including Alabama and Ohio State.

Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Football

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Zaiden Jernigan, a consensus Top 150 running back from Louisville, Mississippi, committed to Notre Dame during a visit for the Miami game. He chose the Fighting Irish over Alabama, LSU, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, and Texas A&M.

Why it matters

The commitment gives Notre Dame its first offensive pledge in the 2028 class and its fifth overall. It also lifts the program's class ranking within the recruiting cycle.

Jernigan is listed at 5-foot-10.5 and 195 pounds and ranks No. 77 overall in the composite, with No. 2 among running backs. Notre Dame's 2028 class is projected to rise from 66.92 points to 85.53 points with his commitment.

The players

Zaiden Jernigan

A running back from Louisville, Mississippi, listed at 5-foot-10.5 and 195 pounds, and a consensus Top 150 prospect in his recruiting class.

Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame, a private Catholic research university in South Bend, Indiana, and a major college football program in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

The details

Jernigan received more than 40 reported offers and announced his pledge on campus during a visit for the Miami game. Notre Dame had been among the first schools to offer him, extending the offer during his visit for the USC game.

October 18, 2025: Notre Dame extended its offer to Jernigan, his seventh reported offer.
June 2026: Jernigan returned to Notre Dame for a visit.
November 7, 2026: Jernigan committed to Notre Dame during his visit for the Miami game.

Season Trajectory

Notre Dame's commitment from a top-ranked running back extends the program's recent pattern of building early classes around high-profile skill-position prospects. Jernigan's pledge also places Notre Dame ahead of several SEC programs that had pursued him for the 2028 cycle.

Jernigan's commitment shapes Notre Dame's 2028 class, which is now the fourth-ranked class in the cycle. Fans tracking recruiting rankings can watch whether the program adds further pledges to reach the projected score.

The takeaway

Early commitments can shift a program's standing quickly, so tracking composite class scores gives a clearer picture of recruiting momentum than individual rankings alone. For Notre Dame, Jernigan's pledge is the first offensive commitment in the 2028 class.