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Six names to watch in Notre Dame's 2026 running back corps
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- Six names to watch in Notre Dame's 2026 running back corps
SOUTH BEND — Jeremiyah Love is moving on to the NFL after back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons for Notre Dame football.
The first-team All-American and Doak Walker Award winner made that official via social media on Tuesday night, Dec. 16.
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Early Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 17, Jadarian Price , with early projections as a second-day NFL Draft pick, joined Love in that draft declaration.
Where does that leave the Irish's stable of running backs for 2026?
Here's a way-too-early look at how position coach Ja'Juan Seider's group might line up next fall, barring any unexpected additions once the transfer portal opens on Jan. 2:
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Leader in the clubhouse
Aneyas Williams didn't get much work this season, but that was partly due to a nagging elbow injury that dated back to fall camp.
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On a per-carry basis, the rising junior from Hannibal, Mo., did enough to earn the top spot on any offseason depth chart. Williams reached the end zone five times on his 24 carries, averaging 9.3 yards and scoring twice in the regular-season finale at Stanford .
Instinctive and deceptively strong, the 5-foot-10, 205-pounder scored on runs of 54, 51 and 30 yards in November. He's also an advanced pass catcher and extremely reliable in pass protection, skills he flashed as a freshman during Notre Dame 's run to the College Football Playoff final.
Intriguing complement
A rising redshirt freshman, Nolan James Jr. appeared in four games while totaling 29 offensive snaps in 2025.
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Built similarly to Williams but perhaps even quicker, the former DePaul Catholic High School teammate of Irish wideout Elijah Burress carried 14 times for 37 yards (2.6-yard average) this season.
James earned praise from offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock coming out of fall camp. He profiles as a third-down weapon.
"He's very competitive, very skilled," Denbrock said in August. "He's a good football player. He's got a good feel for the run game, he's tough as nails and can make plays out of the backfield, catching the football."
The sledgehammer
Coming off a torn ACL suffered early in training camp, third-year sophomore Kedren Young offers a short-yardage solution for an offense that struggled in that department in 2025.
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After bulking up to 240 pounds on his 5-11 frame, Young could be asked to shed some weight in order to take pressure off his surgically repaired right knee. As a freshman in 2024, the Lufkin, Texas, product carried 21 times for 116 yards (5.5 average) and a score.
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The prodigies
In a span of 11 days in May, Seider secured commitments from a pair of Top 10 national running back recruits in Jonaz Walton of Georgia and Javian Osborne of Texas.
Walton (5-9, 205 pounds) finished his career with 85 touchdowns, including four kickoff returns, and piled up 32 career 100-yard rushing games.
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"It's rare that you find that combination of size and speed," Irish general manager Mike Martin said on Early Signing Day. "He is a tough, powerful young man who is a big kid. When you see him up close and in person, you're sort of taken aback by how big he is.
"He's put together. Muscular, strong kid, but he can just flat-out run"
Osborne (5-10, 200 pounds) broke the Forney High School record with 105 career touchdowns. Martin called Osborne "a naturally gifted runner" and "an extraordinary talent" in his Dec. 3 breakdown.
"He has vision, anticipation, feel — instincts that are unusual for a high school running back," Martin said. "He sees things differently. He sees the field in color."
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The insurance policy
Under previous running backs coach Deland McCullough, potential fifth-year senior Gi'Bran Payne carved out a short-yardage role with his knack for daylight-seeking.
After missing all of 2024 with a torn right ACL suffered in the spring game, Payne appeared in all 12 games this season, mainly on the kick return unit. He played just 16 snaps on offense but averaged 5.9 yards on his nine carries.
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Who's in line to replace talented tandem in the Notre Dame backfield?
