Jafar Armstrong could be Notre Dame Football’s most versatile player

What makes Jafar Armstrong such an asset for the Notre Dame football team is his overall versatility and playmaking ability.

Jafar Armstrong joined the Notre Dame football team before the 2017 season. After redshirting his first year on campus, Armstrong made the switch from wide receiver to running back, helping the Irish fill a serious void on the roster.

The result was a relative success, with Armstrong running the ball 72 times for 383 yards, which amounts to about 5.3 yards per carry. Armstrong also added 7 touchdowns. Armstrong say plenty of carries early in the season, but was hampered throughout the middle of the year due to a knee injury. The return of Dexter Williams also took away from Armstrong’s numbers, as the senior ball-carrier returned and took over as the lead back.

But Dexter Williams is gone to Green Bay Packers of the NFL, and Armstrong figures to be the lead back for the Irish heading into 2019. If Armstrong can stay healthy, it’s not improbable to think that he could eclipse the 1,000-yard mark as a rusher.

And that’s not all.

Armstrong’s background as a wide receiver will make him tremendous asset for the Irish offense, which could allow Offensive Coordinator Chip Long the opportunity to move Armstrong around in the offense.

After all, in a small sample size, Armstrong has had success as a receiver. In 2018, he caught 14 passes for 159 yards. That’s 11.4 yards per catch–not too shabby for a guy whose primary position is running back.

In an attempt to project Armstrong’s stats from last season, it’s important to note that Dexter Williams–Notre Dame’s lead back–carried the ball nearly 18 times a game a season ago. If Armstrong is healthy and can get those same touches, he would run for 95.4 yards per game as long as his yards per carry remains the same. Assuming a few more carries and a few longer runs and Armstrong could find himself as a 100-yard per game rusher.

Add in his receiving ability, which is hard to project, and Armstrong could easily amass 130 or more yards per game.

Armstrong probably doesn’t have the name recognition to find himself on the preseason watch list for the Paul Hornung Award, which goes to the nation’s most versatile player, but he might just be on the short list by season’s end.