Notre Dame enters the 2026 season as a legitimate national championship threat, and the numbers back that up. The Irish return 72% of their production from a 10-win team a year ago — the highest returning-production mark of any team in the country. But buried inside that impressive figure is one glaring exception: Notre Dame’s running back room.
The Irish lost both Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price to the first round of the NFL Draft, stripping away the engine of what made Notre Dame’s offense so explosive in 2025.
Just How Big a Loss Are Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price for Notre Dame?
The scale of the production Notre Dame is replacing is staggering. Love and Price combined for 2,046 rushing yards and 29 rushing touchdowns last season. As a team, Notre Dame rushed for 2,441 yards and 38 touchdowns on the ground, adding another 367 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns through the air. All told, the Irish backfield accounted for roughly 3,061 total yards and 25 touchdowns as a unit — numbers that made Notre Dame’s ground game one of the most productive in the country and a driving force behind the program’s national title aspirations.
Replacing that kind of dual-threat production, from two backs who both heard their names called in Round 1 of the NFL Draft, is about as difficult a challenge as any team in college football is facing heading into 2026.
Aneyas Williams Set to Lead Notre Dame’s Running Back Room in 2026
The top returning running back on Notre Dame’s roster is Aneyas Williams, who averaged 18.7 rushing yards per game last season, largely in a mop-up role behind Love and Price, while still managing five touchdowns. Behind Williams, Nolan James Jr. also returns after appearing in just four games a season ago. Beyond that, Notre Dame’s coaching staff has relatively little proven depth to lean on heading into fall camp.
Why Notre Dame Didn’t Address Running Back in the Transfer Portal
Notably, Notre Dame chose not to add a running back through the transfer portal this offseason, instead directing its portal focus toward the defensive line, defensive back, and wide receiver rooms. The Irish did bring in two four-star running back recruits in the 2026 class — Jonaz Walton and Javian Osborne — both ranked inside the top 10 nationally at the position, according to Rivals. Still, with a national championship-caliber season on the line, Notre Dame isn’t likely to lean heavily on true freshmen in its most critical moments.
That reality places the pressure squarely on Aneyas Williams to be the primary replacement for two first-round talents, at least to start the season, with other backs getting opportunities to step up as the year unfolds.
Aneyas Williams Is Ready for His Opportunity at Notre Dame
Williams has made clear he’s been waiting for this chance. Speaking recently about his mindset entering the season, Williams said he’s been waiting two years for this opportunity and wasn’t satisfied with how last season played out for him personally — sentiments he says running backs coach Deland McCullough is well aware of.
A four-star recruit in the 2024 class and the 17th-ranked running back in his class per Rivals, Williams has largely flown under the radar through his first two seasons in South Bend. But in his limited opportunities, he’s shown real ability. Williams has carried the ball 58 times for 443 yards in his career — a 7.6 yards-per-carry average — to go along with seven rushing touchdowns. He’s also shown some receiving chops, hauling in 20 catches for 212 yards out of the backfield.
Can Aneyas Williams Fill the Shoes of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price?
Expecting Williams to simply become the next Jeremiyah Love or Jadarian Price may be unrealistic — both players were exceptional, first-round-caliber talents. But Williams’ per-carry efficiency and short-yardage ability suggest he’s a legitimately talented back capable of anchoring Notre Dame’s offense, even if his statistical ceiling looks different than his predecessors’.
What Notre Dame’s Running Back Situation Means for the 2026 Season
With so much other production returning across the roster, how well Notre Dame’s running back room performs behind Aneyas Williams could ultimately determine whether the Irish live up to their national championship expectations in 2026. All eyes will be on Williams — and eventually Nolan James Jr., Jonaz Walton, and Javian Osborne — to see who can step up and keep Notre Dame’s ground game among the nation’s best.
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