Notre Dame Looks to Have a Strong Run Attack in 2016

Notre Dame’s offense is expected to be very good this coming season and part of the reason is the outstanding running backs that the Fighting Irish have. We will examine the backs and what their roles will be.

Senior Tarean Folston returns after missing the 2015 season due to injury. Folston is a 5’10” 215 lb. powerback from Cocoa High School in Cocoa, Florida. He was part of the 2013 class and played in 12 games that season. He started games against BYU and the Pinstripe Bowl against Rutgers and ran for 470 yards on 88 carries and had three touchdowns. Folston really made a difference in 2014 as a sophomore. He played in all 13 games and started ten. Folston ran for 889 yards on 175 carries and had six rushing touchdowns. He was a dependable back who ran on third down and short yardage situations. In fact, he averaged 6.0 yards per try on third down. Last season he was limited to just three carries after injuring his knee in the first half against Texas. Assuming he recovers fully, he will be a money back for the Fighting Irish.

More from Notre Dame Football

One of the biggest surprises of 2015 was true freshman Josh Adams. He took full advantage of Folston’s injury. The 6’2” 220 lb. running back set a Notre Dame freshman rushing record by running for 869 yards on 117 carries and six touchdowns. He averaged an astounding 7.1 yards per rush. He is the ultimate combination of speed and power. It’s safe to assume that he will only get better.

The third man in the Irish stable of running backs is sophomore Dexter Williams. As a true freshman last season he played in seven games, rushing for 84 yards on 21 carries. Brian Kelly was impressed by the improvement that Williams made during spring practice. Because of the improvement Williams made, he should see an uptick in playing time this fall.

Justin Brent was recruited as a wide receiver, but he switched to tailback last season. At the moment he’s there to provide depth at the position. He will have a difficult time making the two-deep this upcoming season. C.J. Promise started his Notre Dame career as a safety then was switched to wide-receiver during the 2014 season. Last year he had a tremendous year as the team’s lead back and was drafted in the fourth round by the Seattle Seahawks. As far as Brent is concerned, anything is possible, but don’t expect to see his name called too often in 2016.

We also want to include the two running backs Notre Dame signed this past February, Tony Jones, Jr. and Dean McIntosh. Both are from Florida; Jones from IMG Academy in Bradenton and McIntosh from Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale. Jones is a big powerful back and McIntosh is smaller but much faster. They both will probably be red-shirted this season and will look to make an impact during the 2017 season.

Next: Notre Dame vs. Michigan: A Renewed Rivalry?

With Folston returning and Adams coming off a spectacular freshman season, we should see split duties between the two this upcoming year. The improvement of Williams this spring will help him see some action this season. The Fighting Irish are loaded at running back and this should provide the spark for the Fighting Irish to have another successful offense this coming season.

Home/Notre Dame Football