Notre Dame's Jalen Haralson is a One-and-Done Candidate for 2026

Jalen Haralson is a highly touted small forward recruit out of Indiana who played his high school basketball at La Lumiere in La Porte. A Notre Dame signee, Haralson garnered 20 offers out of high school before eventually settling on the Irish, joining a very impressive recruiting class under head coach Micah Shrewsberry.

Haralson was a four-star according to On3's Industry Ranking, earning a 97.09 rating overall. He was considered a five-star by some sites as well, and is a player with an immense amount of natural ability that could possibly find himself as a one-and-done depending on how well his freshman season goes.

The McDonald's All-American stands at 6-foot-7 and weighs 210 pounds, giving him solid positional size for a wing at the collegiate level. Haralson's best athletic attribute is his strength – he may not be as explosive as some of the other prospects at his position, but he is a very physical player who can potentially guard multiple positions for the Irish this upcoming season.

He is a very high-IQ prospect as well; he is a fantastic initiator from the small forward position, possessing an excellent handle and ability to make reads and playmake against different defensive sets. He uses his dribbling ability to get to the rim, and his strength alone allows him to finish through contact at the basket, which only underlines his ability to deliver accurate passes in dump-off scenarios.

He is an ideal wing at the professional level given his defensive prowess and ability to create for himself and others, but his swing skill – shooting – will determine exactly how high he could go in the 2026 or 2027 NBA Drafts. He is not the most consistent shooter from deep, especially off of the bounce, but has shown the ability to spot up and make shots off of screens.

What makes it believable that he could be a dynamic offensive player is his ability to move without the basketball. A great cutter, he uses his great feel for the game to simply find open spots on the floor, whether getting into the paint or coming off of screens.

If Haralson is able to shoot the basketball with proficiency in his freshman season at Notre Dame, he could easily find himself in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft, but if he struggles, he could use his sophomore year to improve these skills and be a shoe-in for the lottery in a much weaker 2027 class.