Talented Notre Dame weapon could make the Fighting Irish staff rethink its strategy following big plays in victory over Navy
Notre Dame may have a decision to make, and it’s a good problem to have.
Everyone and their mother knows how good Notre Dame superstar running back Jeremiyah Love is. The junior playmaker is in the Heisman Trophy conversation for a reason and is widely considered to be a potential first-round selection for the 2026 NFL Draft. He’s often discussed as one of the best players in the entire country.
For as good as Love is, most other programs around college football would give anything to have Jadarian Price as their top running back. Those two talented backs rushed for 1,415 yards and 19 touchdowns as a tandem heading into the game against the Navy Midshipmen. That duo had also hauled in another 26 receptions for 274 yards and four more scores.
No other Irish running back had rushed for more than eight carries or 33 yards, respectively, heading into the contest. That type of split share was something we hadn’t seen much of under former running backs coach Deland McCullough, who believed in filling his running back room with jobs and getting different players involved. Ja’Juan Seider, on the other hand, believes in a much smaller rotation.
That is a big reason why we have seen such a heavy focus on the duo of Love and Price. Those two were accounting for 94 percent of the rushing output for the team heading into the weekend.
One player who has gotten lost in the mix is sophomore running back Aneyas Williams, who was extremely important for the Notre Dame offense during the 2024 season. Williams was depended upon a ton as a third-down back, and made some huge plays in some of the biggest games. The Missouri native managed to total 391 yards and two touchdowns as part of the tandem.
Heading into the game against Navy, Williams had rushed the football a total of six times in eight games. He nearly matched the total during the 49 to 10 blowout victory against the Midshipmen. Williams ended the game rushing for 72 yards and a touchdown on just five carries. That included the longest play on the day for the Notre Dame offense, a 54-yard rush for a touchdown.
If you think back to the preseason, Williams was dealing with an elbow injury, which did limit him early on. It appears that this, however, is just how Seider operates. Could this type of performance change that strategy heading down the last stretch of the season?
Does Notre Dame rethink its strategy?
The strategy for Seider and the Notre Dame running back room is understandable. Love and Price are tremendous, and deserve to touch the football on a majority of reps. There is, however, a legitimate argument for ramping up Williams down the stretch.
The sophomore brings a unique play style, running with a low center of gravity and comfort catching the football. There is a world where you can use all three running backs and be successful. Williams also has next to no tread on his tires, and that freshness could be a huge weapon heading toward the College Football Playoff.
If you remember back to last season, Love dealt with various lower-body injuries during the playoffs. You have a chance to save some mileage off of Love’s legs right now, which could be advantageous for this team making a late-season run. Williams is a talented player who would be best served to be on the field when the postseason kicks off.
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