Notre Dame Football Recruiting: Irish Reel in 2019 Running Back

Notre Dame is cleaning up in recruiting lately, having picked up a ton of momentum in recent weeks. They continued that momentum Thursday with the addition of another running back.

Notre Dame Football just landed a player at a much-need position in Kyren Williams. The 2019 running back out of Missouri chose the Irish over his home town Missouri and Michigan.

The Irish aren’t in the position they’d like to be with the current state of running backs on the roster. Josh Adams left early last season to pursue the NFL and Deon McIntosh and CJ Holmes were suspended, with McIntosh heading to community college and Holmes looking less and less likely to be on the roster next year.

In addition, there have been rumors swirling on social media that there might be a possible suspension in the near future to current running back Dexter Williams. The speculation is just that right now, but if it is true the Irish will be inexperienced to say the least, having Tony Jones, Jr., converted wide receiver Jafar Armstrong, two incoming freshman backs, and even quarterback Avery Davis could get some running back snaps to hold down the group this season.

For depth purposes, that just isn’t going to cut it at a position that gets banged up and worn down throughout the season especially with only one of those guys having any game day playing experience. Adding Kyren Williams to this class is only going to continue adding depth in a position that is an absolute must have especially for offensive coordinator Chip Long and the Notre Dame offense.

Williams was last on campus for his official visit this past weekend and also was on campus for Junior Day in January, along with a few other visits prior. I think the Irish have held a strong hold since his junior day visit. It has seemed like this was a Notre Dame and Michigan battle towards the end, but in my eyes, it was never truly in jeopardy for the Irish to add him to the class. 

Williams holds 20 offers which consists of programs like Michigan, Stanford, Wisconsin and Arkansas among others. 

What will Williams bring to South Bend?

Aside from what I’ve been mentioning above with the much needed consistent depth for each recruiting class, the 5’10″, 200-pounder is an outstanding athlete. A lot of other programs weren’t even recruiting him at running back because of his overall talent as a football player. Last season, Williams had over 900 rushing yards with 22 rushing touchdowns to go along with over 50 receptions which he added more than 750 receiving yards and 12 touchdown catches. To view some of Williams’ highlights, click here. 

This kid can play football and he does it with an aggressive passion for the game. If you try and tackle him with one arm and aren’t in position, he will absolutely shrug you off and take full advantage. While playing receiver, he’s normally in the slot position so that lets you know he’s capable of being shifty and quick. You’ll notice that, as well, when watching his film. Williams is just a smart football player and he’s able to read and hit the hole with aggression when coming out of the backfield. 

The staff really wanted Williams and they got exactly what they wanted. I would absolutely expect the Irish to add another running back to the class to join Williams, but right now this is nice start. I really like this kid and think he can be a long term player for the Irish for the next few years. 

Next: Notre Dame Football: Three Underrated Players for 2018

The 2019 recruiting class now has 15 commitments, five on the offensive side, nine on the defense and a punter. Stay tuned for more additions to the Irish family and #FightClub19.