Notre Dame Football: Kyren Williams a first-down machine for the Irish
By Brad Weiss
Last season, Notre Dame Football saw Kyren Williams burst onto the scene, setting the stage for what should be an excellent 2021 campaign.
The Notre Dame Football team went to their second of three College Football Playoffs this past season, putting together a perfect regular season, and winning ten games for the fourth straight year. For head coach Brian Kelly, his offense was aided once again by the great play of Ian Book, the school’s all-time winningest quarterback, and Kyren Williams, a dynamic redshirt freshman running back.
Heading into 2020, the running back spot was up for grabs, but Williams made a statement early and ended up being a star, winning the ACC’s Offensive Freshman of the Year honors by going over 1,000 yards on the ground with 13 touchdowns.
Williams racked up a ton of first downs for Notre Dame Football
According to Pro Football Focus, when it comes to the running backs who are returning to college football for the 2021 season, not many racked up more first downs than Notre Dame football star Kyren Williams. In fact, when you look at every back returning, Williams had the third-most first downs last season, converting 64 times.
Williams was an absolute juggernaut for the Irish offense this past season, getting the job done on the ground, and also through the air. He was a breath of fresh air for a position group that had questions going into 2020, and he certainly stepped up in a big way for the Irish.
This upcoming season, you can expect the tandem of Williams and Tyree to be one of the best in the country, as they each bring a specific skill set to the fold. In fact, the running back room is loaded for the foreseeable future, as youngsters like Logan Diggs and Audric Estime should contribute as freshmen as well.
With a change at quarterback and eighty percent of the starting offensive line having to be replaced, the Irish have a lot of question marks on that side of the ball entering the summer. However, they do not have a question mark at running back, where Williams should be in for another 1,000-yard season, as he looks to carry this team to another successful campaign.