Later this month, one of Notre Dame’s greatest tandems, running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, will hear their respective names called in the NFL Draft and leave behind two incredible Irish legacies and a sizable gap in the position room.
Love finished his Notre Dame career with an astounding 3,476 all-purpose yards and 42 total touchdowns in just three seasons. His list of accolades is far too long to list here, but a few stand out; in 2025, he became Notre Dame’s first Heisman Trophy finalist since Manti Te‘o in 2012 and the only Irish player with two rushes of 90-plus yards in his career. The first, of course, was his unforgettable 98-yard breakaway against Indiana in the opening round of the 2024-25 College Football Playoff. The second, although perhaps not quite as memorable, came on a 94-yard dash to the end zone against Boston College last season.
Beyond the stats, the play that epitomizes Love’s otherworldly talent is his personal favorite dash — the flying leap over a helpless USC defender, followed a few steps later by a trucking of a similarly overmatched Trojan in the game that sent the Irish on their way to the aforementioned Playoff. Love’s Notre Dame legacy ranks among the Irish’s greatest, leaving him as one of, if not the single greatest, Irish back in history.
Price may have been the less decorated of the two, but his legacy is incredible in its own right nonetheless. He finished his career with 1,692 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. But Price’s collegiate stamp would be incomplete without mentioning his 794 return yards and 3 touchdowns, two of them coming on kickoffs against USC. The first, in 2023, was a dagger to seal the win, and the second, last season, gave the Irish the lead they never relinquished. Though he may not quite have the statistics or accolades of Love, Price’s mark is just as significant and will live on through the incredible moments he had.
But, without Love and Price, who takes the reins of the storied Notre Dame running back corps?
Currently, there are five backs listed on the roster. Junior Aneyas Williams is the oldest, followed by sophomore Kedren Young. There are three freshmen: Nolan James Jr., Jonaz Walton and Javian Osborne. Williams is widely expected to be the lead back, but is limited this spring due to injury — as are Young and Osborne. As a result, James and Walton get the chance to impress during spring practice.
Turning the attention back to Williams, the junior has been given limited opportunities in his time thus far in South Bend. But when he has seen the field, he has frequently made the most of it. In 2025, he appeared in just five games. However, in those contests, Williams averaged an absurd 9.3 yards per carry with a touchdown in four of his five appearances. His biggest performance came against Stanford after Love’s injury, totaling 10 carries for 83 yards and 2 touchdowns. Despite his previously limited playtime, the coaching staff has expressed high confidence in the junior heading into this fall.
Another returning back with high expectations is Young. He missed all of last season with an ACL injury suffered during preseason, but will return with higher motivation. Known as a power back, Young particularly excels in third-down and short-yardage situations. However, he believes that he can succeed beyond those specific scenarios and earn a bigger role.
“I think before I was injured, I improved on my blocking very well. That’s the biggest thing,” Young explained. “Also, I can catch the ball, and I can run routes as well.”
Speaking of bigger roles, after redshirting last season, James has caught the eye of the coaching staff, particularly running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider.
“He’s the most mature young kid I’ve ever been around,” Seider said of James’ skills and mindset. “He does stuff what three, four-year pros figure out later.”
Those words are especially meaningful coming from a coach with the reputation of Seider. This year alone, he has coached arguably the top four running backs in the NFL Draft in Love and Price, along with Penn State’s Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. With Williams and Young expected to remain limited and out respectively, this spring, James has already begun making his case as a potential RB1.
Last but not least, two true freshmen enrolled early this spring to make their case as some of the Irish’s next great backs. Osborne and Walton each arrive in South Bend as highly touted recruits, both of them confident in their abilities to succeed at the collegiate level.
Despite sitting out the spring, Osborne laid out his mindset on the transition from high school to college. “I know I’m physically built for this. I know I’m ready for this,” he said.
His counterpart, Walton, expressed similar confidence and said, “I’m a good power back for sure, but I have a lot of speed.”
The two newcomers are the 11th tandem of running backs to join the Irish over the last 20 recruiting cycles. There are many paths to the field for them: blocking, returning, short-yardage and more. Both have exuded confidence, as well as a distinct willingness to learn and step into any role the coaching staff calls them to. Walton, in particular, has been highlighted for his potential as a returner following the departure of Price.
Looking forward, the class of 2027 also provides further depth to the Notre Dame running back room. A new tandem will join the Irish next season: Lathan Whisenton and Isaiah Rogers, who committed within the past week. But the focus for Seider and his men must remain on the year ahead. There are a lot of decisions to be made in the lead-up to the season opener in Green Bay against Wisconsin Sept. 6. Simultaneously, it seems that there is not a bad choice in the room, even with the sky-high expectations.
