SOUTH BEND —To hear special teams guru Marty Biagi tell it, Notre Dame football could have its top two running backs waiting to return kickoffs come Aug. 31 in the season opener at 10th-ranked Miami.
“If we’re going to spend time and block it up, we want to get our best athletes back there that we know can hit it,” Biagi said after Friday’s practice, No. 13 of fall training camp.
Heisman Trophy candidate Jeremiyah Love has three kickoff returns totaling 42 yards through 29 career games for the Irish, including a 43-yard reverse against Miami (Ohio) last year that was negated by an illegal block in the back.
Fourth-year junior Jadarian Price returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown against USC in 2023. Price had nine other returns that year and a 34.4-yard average before ceding those duties to Jayden Harrison and Devyn Ford last season.
Harrison’s second-half kickoff return for a touchdown in the Sugar Bowl proved pivotal in the win over Georgia, but his eligibility has expired.
The following week against Penn State in the Orange Bowl, the Irish had to contend with Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen as deep backs in kickoff return. Singleton had 27 kickoff returns for a 23.9-yard average over the past two seasons, while Allen returned one just kick for 4 yards a year ago.
New Irish running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider spent the last seven seasons at Penn State, so he had no qualms with sharing Love and Price on special teams.
“We’ve had Price and Love as the main two guys back there,” Biagi said. “The two returners that were in the game against us in the Orange Bowl were the two starting running backs.”
Freshman Nolan James Jr. “has done a great job” as well on kickoff return, Biagi said.
While mainstay wideouts Will Pauling and Jordan Faison have been at the front of the line on punt return, with freshman corner Dallas Golden, running back Aneyeas Williams and star wideout Jaden Greathouse in reserve, the kickoff return unit could have the most sizzle of all.
And as usual when it comes to special teams, fourth-year Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman was fully onboard.
“Talking with Ja’Juan and Free, if we feel like we have something schemed up really well, we want to get our best playmakers on the field,” Biagi said. “Coach Free has all the full decision making over our roster and who goes in and who doesn’t, but he’s not going to play scared or timid if we think we can make a game-changing play.”
Including Chris Tyree’s 96-yard kickoff return put Notre Dame ahead to stay in the fourth quarter against Wisconsin in 2021, the Irish are looking to make it four out of five seasons with a kickoff return touchdown.
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: One-two punch could hit it big on kickoff return for Notre Dame football
Reporting by Mike Berardino, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
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