Notre Dame's elite RB commit sends unmistakable message to Irish fanbase

In an era where commitments don't always mean commitments, Notre Dame football running back commit Javian Osborne stands out. He's not only ready to strap it up for the Fighting Irish, but he's also doing the little things that show that he's "locked down" and won't look elsewhere before signing day in December. A case in point is what he did to his equipment at a recent recruit showcase camp.

Osborne is a four-star running back who was a massive acquisition for Marcus Freeman and his staff, including the fact that they beat out the Michigan Wolverines. Now, while doing all kinds of peer recruiting, he's making sure there aren't any signs floating out there that he might be wavering.

Notre Dame RB commit Javian Osborne erases rival logo on cleats to prove unwavering loyalty

Appearing at the Rivals camp this week, Javian Osborne was spotted wearing some Michigan-branded cleats while working out. However, likely because the running back knew mouths would start flapping when he was seen in those shoes, he went the extra yard. Osborne took a magic marker and covered up the "M" on the shoes.

The message is clear. "I might be wearing these cleats" (and considering another recruit was wearing Ohio State shoes, might have been asked to wear them), "but I am absolutely not a Michigan Man."

Notre Dame fans might remember that last year, things started heating up with another commit when quarterback Deuce Knight was spotted wearing Auburn paraphernalia at a similar camp. It turned out he did flip and, in retrospect, was sending his own message to the Irish faithful.

No such message is coming to Notre Dame nation when it comes to Javian Osborne. He's made his decision and isn't looking back. While some might make accusations of worrying about the wrong thing, it's simple, small messages like this that stand out, especially during this time of year.