Notre Dame set to host an elite RB for Junior Day, and could continue incredible trend under Deland McCullough
The rise of Notre Dame star running back Jeremiyah Love has been one of the best storylines for the 2024 college football season. Rushing for 1,125 yards and scoring 19 total touchdowns on the year, the St. Louis native was a huge reason the Irish earned a berth in the national championship game. It was […]
The rise of Notre Dame star running back Jeremiyah Love has been one of the best storylines for the 2024 college football season. Rushing for 1,125 yards and scoring 19 total touchdowns on the year, the St. Louis native was a huge reason the Irish earned a berth in the national championship game. It was a season to remember.
This success at running back has become a consistent theme under running backs coach Deland McCullough. Even before the Love breakout in 2024, the backfield impact had been trending upward. Just a year before, current Denver Broncos running back Audric Estime was a star for the Irish. Coach McCullough has done a tremendous job attracting top talent.
Speaking of talent, Notre Dame is set to host one of the nation’s best running backs for Junior Day this weekend in 2026 Carrollton (Ga.) Central star Jonaz Walton. He’s a player that the Fighting Irish staff has been recruiting for a long time. This will be his first trip to South Bend, and that’s a huge deal.
Walton is well thought of from every major recruiting platform. He currently ranks as a four-star player, the No. 86 overall player, and No. 8 running back in the 2025 recruiting class according to the 247Sports Composite ranking. That ranking also has Walton pegged as the No. 11 player in the state of Georgia, an area that puts out next level talent at an insane rate.
The offer list also matches the rankings for Walton. The Georgia native is not short of options, currently holding offers from the Fighting Irish, Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan, Tennessee, USC, Florida, Auburn, and Florida State among many others.
As a junior, Walton was once again fantastic. In 12 games, he rushed for 1,387 yards and 14 touchdowns. The 5-9, 200-pound runner also hauled in 39 receptions for 646 yards and four more scores through the air, while also averaging over 38 yards per kick return as well.
Early 2025 Notre Dame Depth Chart: CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey battle for top quarterback, and an interesting offensive line decision
Projected 2025 Notre Dame offensive depth chart
