Aneyas williams takes a rep during the Spring of 2025. (Photo: Chad Ryan)
Replacing one NFL running back is difficult. Notre Dame has to replace two — and not just any two. Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price formed a tandem that belongs in the conversation among the best college football has ever seen. The good news for the Irish is they may already have the next star waiting for his opportunity.
Aneyas Williams is the lead guy in Notre Dame’s running back room, and after spending two seasons behind Love and Price, his opportunity has arrived.
Williams enters his third season with the Irish after rushing 24 times for 224 yards and five touchdowns last season despite being slowed all season long by a preseason elbow injury. He has also shown he can be a factor in the passing game, including five receptions for 66 yards in Notre Dame’s Orange Bowl victory over Penn State following the 2024 season.
Those numbers have come in limited opportunities, but Williams has spent two years developing behind two elite running backs. Now, instead of providing depth behind Love and Price, he will be expected to lead the room.
That applies off the field as well.
Running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider said Williams was already the best vocal leader in the room last season, despite playing behind Love and Price.
“Being a leader is uncomfortable, because you’ve got to hold guys accountable,” Seider said.
Seider has also been impressed with Williams’ confidence, saying he is one of the most confident players he has been around and believes that confidence allows him to make plays in big moments.
Williams has waited for this opportunity. If he takes the next step, he has a chance not only to become Notre Dame’s leading rusher, but to establish himself as the next star in the Irish backfield.
Behind Williams, Kedren Young gives Notre Dame a completely different option.
Young returns after suffering a torn ACL that caused him to miss all of last season. As a freshman in 2024, he carried 21 times for 116 yards and a touchdown.
At 5-foot-11 and 234 pounds, Young brings size and power that no other back in the room quite matches. Seider described him as “powerful” with a “low center of gravity” and also pointed to his ability as a receiver.
The biggest question is how quickly Young can return to his pre-injury form. If he does, he could become Notre Dame’s short-yardage and goal-line option while providing a physical complement to Williams.
Nolan James Jr. is another player fighting for a larger role.
James enters his second season after carrying 14 times for 37 yards last year. He has put together a strong fall camp, but with Young returning and two talented freshmen entering the program, the competition for carries behind Williams will be significant.
One way James could separate himself is in the passing game. Seider said Notre Dame has been giving him opportunities as a receiver as the Irish try to determine who can provide some of the versatility Williams brings.
“We know Aneyas can do those things. Who can do it behind him?” Seider said.
If James can prove he can contribute both as a runner and receiver, he could carve out an important role in the rotation.
Then there are the freshmen, beginning with Jonaz Walton.
Walton was a four-star recruit and the No. 11 running back in the class of 2026, according to 247Sports. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards and scored 14 touchdowns during his senior season.
Walton is a compact, explosive runner whose speed gives Notre Dame another dimension in the backfield. And Seider has already made it clear that the freshman won’t simply spend his first season watching.
“He’s going to play this year,” Seider said.
That’s a significant statement this early in fall camp about a true freshman in a crowded running back room. Walton will have to adjust to the college game, but his explosiveness could make it difficult to keep him off the field.
Javian Osborne gives Notre Dame another highly regarded freshman option.
Osborne was a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 9 running back in the 2026 class, according to 247Sports. His high school production was staggering: more than 2,000 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior after finishing his career with more than 6,600 rushing yards and 100 touchdowns.
The path to immediate playing time may be more difficult for Osborne with Williams, Young, James and Walton all competing for carries. But a player with that kind of production gives Seider another talented option in what could become a deep rotation.
And that may ultimately be the key to replacing Love and Price.
Notre Dame isn’t going to replace them with one player. It may not even be realistic to expect two players to duplicate what they gave the Irish. Instead, replacing one of the most talented running back tandems in college football history is likely going to require the entire room.
Williams has the opportunity to become the next star. Young gives the Irish a powerful option between the tackles and in short-yardage situations. James is fighting to establish himself as a versatile contributor, while Walton and Osborne give Notre Dame two talented freshmen capable of pushing for playing time.
Seider understands that depth will matter.
“If we want to go, we want to go,” Seider said. “We’re going to need them all.”
There may never be another Love and Price. Notre Dame doesn’t necessarily need there to be.
If Williams is ready for his moment and the talent behind him develops as expected, the Irish may not have to replace an extraordinary tandem with another one.
They may be able to replace it with an entire room.