(Photo: Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)
C.J. Prosise didn’t arrive at Notre Dame as a future feature back. In fact, he wasn’t even in the room. Recruited as a safety out of Woodberry Forest in Virginia, Prosise spent two seasons as a wide receiver and a standout on special teams. He was athletic, dependable, and versatile — the kind of player every staff values but most fans overlook.
That changed quickly in 2015.
After redshirting in 2012, Prosise saw action at wide receiver in 2013 and 2014, finishing his sophomore year with 516 receiving yards and leading the team in special teams tackles. Ahead of his junior year, Notre Dame moved him to running back to help with depth. It wasn’t a headline switch… until it had to be. When Tarean Folston suffered a season-ending injury in the opener against Texas, Prosise suddenly became the lead back.
He didn’t ease into the job — he took off with it.
In his first start at Virginia, Prosise posted 155 yards and a touchdown. The next week against Georgia Tech, he delivered one of the signature performances of the Brian Kelly era: 198 rushing yards, three touchdowns, and a 91-yard run that still stands as the longest rushing score in Notre Dame Stadium history. From that point forward, he was a weekly problem for opposing defenses.
Prosise kept stacking productive games — 100 receiving yards at Clemson, 129 rushing yards and three touchdowns against Navy, 143 yards and two more scores against USC. Injuries late in the year limited his touches, but not the impact of his breakout.
He finished the 2015 season with 1,032 rushing yards on 156 carries (6.6 per attempt), 11 touchdowns, plus 308 receiving yards. Not bad for a player who had been a wide receiver just a few months earlier.
After the Fiesta Bowl, Prosise declared for the NFL Draft and was selected in the third round by the Seattle Seahawks, he went on to a five year pro career.
C.J. Prosise didn’t follow the usual path, but when Notre Dame needed a running back, he became a really good one — fast. His 2015 season remains one of the most impressive position-switch success stories in Irish history.