The Notre Dame Running Back room embracing the underdog role

SOUTH BEND Ind. --Notre Dame RB room embraces underdog role as Irish search for new backfield leaders

Replacing one of the nation’s most productive running back tandems won’t be easy, and Notre Dame knows it.

As the Irish continue fall camp, the running back room enters the season facing perhaps the biggest question mark on offense after the departures of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, who combined for more than 2,000 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns last season before becoming first-round NFL Draft picks.

Rather than shy away from the outside skepticism, junior running back Aneyas Williams said the group is using it as motivation.

“We’re supposed to be the weaklings,” Williams said, recalling a message from running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider. “We’ve got to take that going into the rest of this camp, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Williams appears poised to lead the room after an efficient sophomore campaign. He rushed for 224 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 9.3 yards per carry in limited opportunities, making him the frontrunner to assume the starting role this fall.

Behind Williams, however, the competition remains wide open. Nolan James Jr. has emerged as one of the early standouts of fall camp and has already worked with the first-team offense. Kedren Young, a 234-pound power back, is back after missing last season because of injury, while true freshman Jonaz Walton has impressed coaches with his combination of size and speed.

But Seider said talent with the football isn’t what will determine playing time. For him, the first priority is protecting quarterback CJ Carr.

“How can we protect CJ?” Seider said. “That’s where it starts. Day one of practice, the first thing we did was blocking. I’ve got to be confident I can put you on the field because you’re going to do a good job blocking. You came here because you can run the ball — we already know that. That’s the easy part.”

With a new starting quarterback and several unproven backs competing for snaps, pass protection could ultimately separate the contenders from the rest of the pack as camp continues.