Notre Dame football: How good can the Irish RB group be in 2022?

The Notre Dame football team is losing their feature back in Kyren Williams, but a strong group is ready to take over and lead the team into this new era.

This past week, the Notre Dame football team finally announced that Tyler Buchner would be the starting quarterback for the 2022 season. That was the biggest question mark in terms of the offense going into this year’s campaign, but that is not the only question that is plaguing this group on that side of the ball.

With the Irish decimated with injuries at the wide receiver position, and the quarterback entering his first season as the starter, running the football is going to be key, at least early on. Luckily for Buchner and the offense, the running back room has a few players who could end up being absolute playmakers this season, led by Chris Tyree.

Tyree is entering his third season with the Irish and has served as the No. 2 back behind Kyren Williams the last two seasons. We have seen flashes of brilliance from him, and rightfully so, as he was one of the highest-rated recruits of the 2019 class.

However, he is not the only back who make a significant impact in 2022.

Notre Dame football is deep and talented at RB

Last season, we got to see true freshman Logan Diggs get some extended playing time, and he did not disappoint. Diggs proved in Year 1 that he has the talent to perform at the collegiate level, proving to be an effective back in the run and passing games.

Another true freshman last season, Audric Estime, did not see the field as much but has had a tremendous offseason, and figures to be a short-yardage and red-zone back for the Irish this season. Estime and Diggs are the perfect complements to Tyree, as they have distinctly different running styles and can hurt you in different ways.

Notre Dame football: Chris Tyree finally has the chance to reach his potential

The Notre Dame football team has some depth issues at running back, but that only means a big season could be coming from Chris Tyree.

Overall, losing a running back that posted back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns is going to be hard, but the Irish have three backs who could collectively fill the shoes left by Williams. If all three can remain healthy, you can expect a steady dose of the run game in 2022, especially against a power like Ohio State in Week 1.