SOUTH BEND — Following Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price in the Notre Dame football backfield will be a daunting task for the 2026 Irish running backs.
In April, Love and Price, both first-round picks, became the first college teammates taken as the top two running backs in the same year of the common-era NFL draft. That factoid stretches back to 1967.
And yet, veteran position coach Ja’Juan Seider wants this year’s backs — holdovers Aneyas Williams, Nolan James Jr. and Kedren Young along with freshmen Jonaz Walton and Javian Osborne — to attack the challenge head-on.
“They don’t need to try to be J Love; there’s only one J-Love,” Seider said this spring of the No. 3 overall pick of the Arizona Cardinals. “And there’s only one Jadarian. Be the best version of yourself. That’s why you were recruited to come to Notre Dame.”
Williams, James and Young were recruited by Deland McCullough, now back in the college game at Oklahoma. Walton and Osborne, highly productive prep stars from Georgia and Texas, respectively, bought into Seider’s vision for them after he made the jump from Penn State in March of 2025.
“All you guys were four- and five-stars,” Seider has told them. “So now it’s time to go be that guy.”
While Williams has flashed breakaway speed and advanced fundamentals in his limited playing time the past two years, James offers more thump than his glider’s gait might suggest.
Speaking of power backs, Young is nearly a full year removed from his ACL tear, which makes him a tantalizing candidate for short-yardage and goal-line assignments.
Walton made the most of his first college spring, while Osborne, who was sidelined after left wrist surgery, has the burst to close the gap in fall camp.
One way or another — maybe five ways? — Notre Dame has the sort of quality backfield pieces that should keep the ground game humming.
“It’s going to be different,” Seider said. “We may get there differently. But I think we’ll get the results we need to help this team be successful.”
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
Depth chart
22 | RB | Aneyas Williams | 5-10, 210 | 3Y
2 | RB | Nolan James Jr. | 5-10, 212 | 2Y
21 | RB | Kedren Young | 5-11, 234 | 3Y
20 | RB | Jonaz Walton | 5-9, 214 | 1Y
26 | RB | Javian Osborne | 5-9, 200 | 1Y
Bold denotes projected starter
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame football running back preview for the 2026 season
Reporting by Mike Berardino, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mike Berardino, South Bend Tribune | USA TODAY Network
