Irish Breakdown

The Evolution of Notre Dame's Running Back Room: From Good to Elite to Feared

Notre Dame's running back room has rapidly evolved from a unit that opposing teams needed to respect to one they now fear

Nathan Erbach

Sep 14, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) outruns Purdue Boilermakers defensive back Dillon Thieneman (31) to score a touchdown during the first quarter at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
Sep 14, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) outruns Purdue Boilermakers defensive back Dillon Thieneman (31) to score a touchdown during the first quarter at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
In this story:

Notre Dame has long been known for its strong run game. The team recruits well at the position, consistently boasts excellent offensive lines, and employs a style of play that emphasizes running the football. This has been a defining feature of their offense for many years.

However, despite this track record, Notre Dame hasn’t always produced high-level NFL talent at the running back position like you see from programs like Georgia and Alabama.

That may be changing rapidly. Under Brian Kelly, the running back room was impressive, and it has since evolved from being consistently good to consistently great. Now, it seems to be a juggernaut with no end in sight.

Recent Notre Dame Running Back Rooms

For this exercise, I revisited Notre Dame running back rooms starting from 2017. Notre Dame fans will remember the memorable hashtag #33Trucking. Josh Adams was a standout in South Bend, rushing for nearly 1,500 yards in his final season.

A highly touted four-star recruit from Pennsylvania, Adams lived up to the hype during his college career. Unfortunately, persistent knee issues may have altered his NFL draft prospects and professional career. Despite a solid rookie season, his time in the NFL was relatively brief.

The running back room at that time also included Deon McIntosh, Tony Jones Jr., and Dexter Williams.

Notre Dame Running Backs: 2018-2019

In 2018, Dexter Williams, a talented but often troubled player, took over the Notre Dame backfield. Despite being suspended for part of the season, his performance was impressive.

Williams finished the year with 995 rushing yards and 13 total touchdowns in just 9 games. He was selected by the Packers in the 6th round of the 2019 NFL Draft, but his career was short-lived, as he was released after two seasons and seven games.

Many Notre Dame fans and analysts expected a longer NFL career for Williams following his standout 2018 season.

The 2019 season was anticipated to be a transition year for Notre Dame at running back. However, former IMG Academy star Tony Jones Jr. had other plans.

After serving as a solid backup to Williams in 2018, Jones stepped up as the starter in 2019 and excelled. With nearly 900 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, his performance as a starter is often underappreciated. The roster also included Jafar Armstrong, Jahmir Smith, and C'Bo Flemister during that period.

Jones has managed to extend his NFL career longer than many anticipated, despite going undrafted in 2020. Currently a free agent due to a training camp injury,

Jones has spent his first four years in the league as a valuable backup and practice squad player, starting six games and demonstrating his resilience and adaptability.

2020-2022, Elite Rushing Attack in South Bend

No one could have anticipated the impact Kyren Williams would have in the 2020 season. Despite being a highly-touted recruit, Williams spent his freshman year in 2019 in the "doghouse" and was absent from the spotlight.

However, during the fall camp of 2020, he emerged as a standout running back for the Irish.

Williams went on to have two exceptional years at Notre Dame, amassing 2,799 yards from scrimmage and 31 touchdowns in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. In addition to his running prowess, he was renowned for his elite pass protection skills, which remains a hallmark of his game at the NFL level.

Currently, Williams is the starting running back for the Los Angeles Rams, where he has rushed for 1,144 yards and 12 touchdowns in just 12 games in 2023.

His listed height and weight of 5-9 and 202 pounds, were points of criticism and contributed to his 5th-round draft selection. He also didn't put up elite speed times at the combine or pro day. However, he has quickly proven any doubters wrong.

During his time at Notre Dame, the backups to Williams included notable players such as Chris Tyree, Logan Diggs, and Audric Estime.

In 2022, Audric Estime and Logan Diggs took over the majority of the carries and seamlessly continued where Kyren Williams left off. Chris Tyree also contributed with 100 carries throughout the season.

Collectively, the trio helped the Irish amass 2,186 rushing yards at an average of over five yards per carry. They combined for 23 touchdowns, maintaining a strong rushing performance for Notre Dame.

2023-2024, Notre Dame is a Rushing Juggernaut

Logan Diggs transferred out, and Chris Tyree moved to wide receiver, leaving Audric Estime as the focal point of the Notre Dame backfield. The 2023 Irish boasted what might be their most talented running back in a very long time.

Four-star recruit Jadarian Price returned from a freshman year injury, sophomore Gi'Bran Payne, a former four-star, vied for playing time, and true freshman Jeremiyah Love, a top-75 recruit, was eager to make his mark. Estime finished the season just shy of 1,400 yards, averaging 6.4 yards per carry and scoring 18 total touchdowns. Price and Love, serving as the primary backups, both averaged over 5 yards per carry.

Estime was selected in the 5th round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos but was placed on injured reserve after the first game of the season. Nonetheless, this is another sign that Notre Dame is increasingly producing running backs who make their way to the NFL.

Now in 2024, Notre Dame's running back room continues to impress. The improved recruiting, top-notch coaching from Deland McCullough—arguably one of the best running backs coaches in the country—and increased NFL success are all contributing factors. This success only further attracts high school prospects eager to join the Blue & Gold.

Currently, the running back lineup includes Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price, Aneyas Williams, and Kedren Young. Love and Price, both with high recruiting profiles, are already making significant contributions; Love is averaging eight yards per carry through three games, while Price is close behind at 7.7 yards per carry.

Williams and Young are only true freshman, but were also borderline elite running back recruits. There time will come. Notre Dame is stacking big-time running back classes together and the product on the field is only getting better because of it.

Published
Nathan Erbach

NATHAN ERBACH

Home/Football