With Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price gone, one of the big questions about Notre Dame in 2026 is who will take over as the starting running back, and will he have the success Love and/or Price had? Head coach Marcus Freeman believes they’ve already arrived at the answers: Aneyas Williams and yes.
Obviously, Freeman doesn’t believe that Williams will automatically have the exact same kind of season that Love or Price will have. After all, the pair were veteran backs who also both went in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Still, the Irish head coach is confident that Williams can step up and make the position his.
The Notre Dame head coach said as much when he appeared on ESPN as part of the school’s version of Media Days. Rather than holding a bunch of press conferences in a room, the Irish appear on various shows and give interviews, such as on Sportscenter on Thursday afternoon.
Freeman was asked how different the ND offense will look in 2026, and he made it clear that Williams stepping in for the two NFL draft picks isn’t a real concern for him. He also pointed out that if Williams isn’t ready to carry the load, there are other guys who can step up.
"We're going to be a team that still prides ourselves in running the football. ... We have a deep running back room, but it all starts with the big guys in front."
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 16, 2026
Notre Dame football HC Marcus Freeman discusses offensive plans without Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price… pic.twitter.com/fXRU9WyyGZ
Aneyas Williams gets Marcus Freeman’s backing as Notre Dame football RB1
“I think of a guy named Aeneas Williams who's been in our program for three years and has made some big plays for our team, but hasn't been a starting running back. And he's going to get a chance to be that guy.”
“And we have a deep running back room, but it all starts with the big guys up front. We've got a lot of guys returning up front, a lot of production, a lot of talent. And so, again, the ability to have an explosive run game comes from what you do at the line of scrimmage. And our big guys will be ready.”
Earlier this spring, the concerns about the running back room were more pronounced. Williams missed most of the practices due to a lingering injury, but he also showed the toughness and readiness to take over the job when needed. He appeared in the Blue and Gold game and is said to be ready to go for the fall.
The running back is fairly untested as “the man” at the position, but it’s not as though Williams is a rookie. Last year, he had 24 carries for 224 yards and 5 touchdowns. He averaged an impressive 9.3 yards per carry. For his career in South Bend, he has 443 yards and 7 touchdowns. He’s someone who knows what it takes to be a successful running back in the college ranks, and he’s succeeded plenty when given the chance.
2026 will be different for Williams because he’s never been the starter. Last year, he came into games when the score was decidedly one-sided. Now he and Notre Dame will try to show that he’s ready to step up. Marcus Freeman believes he’s built for it. The good news is that if he’s not, there’s quite the stable ready to take his place.
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