Notre Dame football enters the 2026 college football season with a drastically different running back room after losing Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price this offseason.

Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish must replace a pair of explosive backs who consistently produced home-run plays. The question now is whether this new group can evolve from efficient to explosive, and whether two true freshmen hold the key to unlocking the room’s ceiling.

A shift in identity

The 2025 Notre Dame rushing attack had a get-out-of-jail-free card. Even when the offense wasn’t efficient on a given Saturday, Love and Price could break a big play and make the numbers look better than they were. That luxury no longer exists, at least not to that level.

This 2026 group projects as more of a singles-and-doubles operation. When the play is blocked for 2 yards, they need to get 3. When there’s 5 available, they need to get 6. Consistency and efficiency will define this room rather than splash plays, at least on the surface.

The expected rotation

As things stand, Aneyas Williams and Nolan James Jr. are expected to be the top two running backs for the Fighting Irish. Williams profiles as a versatile contributor in both the run and pass game, while James projects as the player who picks up tough, physical yardage between the tackles.

Then there’s Kedren Young, the wild card of the veteran group. Now fully healthy after recovering from an ACL tear, Young has the tools to fight for the lead back role. At 5-11 and 230-plus pounds, he’s the most physical runner in the room and arguably the most talented of the bunch if he can stay healthy. Durability has been a concern during his first two years on campus.

A rotation of Williams, James, and Young could give Notre Dame a good rushing attack. But “good” might not be enough to reach the ceiling this team is chasing.

The freshmen who could change everything

The true wild cards are freshmen Javian Osborne and Jonaz Walton. Their development could be the difference between a good rushing attack and an excellent one.

Walton was able to participate in spring practice and showcased the talent that made him such a highly recruited player in the 2026 class. He’s physically well put together and ran a 10.5-second 100 meters in high school, giving him a rare combination of size and explosiveness.

Osborne missed the spring recovering from an injury, so his integration with the offense is still in its early stages. At around 200 to 205 pounds, he’s not as big as Walton, but what he brings to the table when healthy is a different skill set entirely. Osborne has incredible feet, the ability to work in space, and the talent to create explosive plays. He’s flexible, he can catch the football, and he might be the most well-rounded talent at the running back position on the roster.

The path from good to excellent

Of the five running backs in the room, Walton and Osborne carry the highest likelihood of creating big plays and the occasional home run based on their athletic skill sets alone. I’m not banking on either of them becoming that type of player for Notre Dame in 2026. But the possibility is worth monitoring closely.

If Williams is creating plays in the run and pass game, James is grinding out short yardage, and Young is serving as a goal-line hammer, the rushing attack should be functional and productive. Adding a player who can unlock the ability to create explosive runs on top of that foundation could transform the group.

One of those freshmen ascending into a legitimate part of the rotation would give this offense a dimension it currently lacks on paper, and that could turn Notre Dame’s rushing attack into a huge X-factor for the season ahead.