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Notre Dame Football: Top 5 running backs Irish will face in 2020

By Jack Leniart

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 13: Travis Etienne #9 of the Clemson Tigers runs the ball against Derion Kendrick #1 of the Clemson Tigers during the first quarter in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 13, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 13: Travis Etienne #9 of the Clemson Tigers runs the ball against Derion Kendrick #1 of the Clemson Tigers during the first quarter in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 13, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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4. Kenneth Walker III (Wake Forest)

WINSTON SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA – SEPTEMBER 13: Kenneth Walker III #25 of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons runs with the ball against the North Carolina Tar Heels during their game at BB&T Field on September 13, 2019 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
WINSTON SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA – SEPTEMBER 13: Kenneth Walker III #25 of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons runs with the ball against the North Carolina Tar Heels during their game at BB&T Field on September 13, 2019 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Another promising young running back in the ACC is Wake Forest’s Kenneth Walker III. As a true freshman last season, Walker ran for 574 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 5.9 yards per carry.

Although he was second on the running back depth chart behind senior Cade Carney, Walker was able to make a real impact in 2019. Despite having 60 fewer carries than Carney, Walker only had 41 fewer rushing yards.

Walker was a change of pace running back for the Demon Deacons last season and brought a big-play threat to their offense. With quarterback Jamie Newman transferring to Georgia, the Wake Forest offense will need a whole lot more of those big plays from Walker in 2020.

Walker saw the first action of his college career in Wake Forest’s week two game against Rice last season. He had nine carries in that game. On one of those carries, he broke free for a 96-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

It is safe to assume that one big play in the second week of the season earned Walker some additional snaps as the season progressed. He made sure to make the most of that opportunity.

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