One day after Jeremiyah Love declared he was leaving Notre Dame for the NFL Draft, Jadarian Price followed suit. Now that both Fighting Irish running backs are taking their talents to the pros, it's "next man up" time. That next man is Aneyas Williams.
Neither Love nor Price's announcements are remotely shocking. It's possible that the two players could be the first and second running backs selected in the NFL Draft this spring. To that end, Williams has been prepping the last few weeks to be "the man" next season.
Williams was, in fact, asked earlier this fall if he planned on coming back to Notre Dame in 2026. While he didn't say "yes because I'll be the guy," it's clear that's long been the plan.
Notre Dame’s Jadarian Price declares for the NFL draft. His decision follows teammate Jeremiyah Love yesterday. pic.twitter.com/MOhVMrOnZq
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 17, 2025
Aneyas Williams’ opportunity grows as Notre Dame football resets at running back
While Williams has the talent to be the starting running back next year for the Irish, not having the one-two punch of Love and Price will mean some growing pains for the offense.
Price followed a 2024 campaign where he rushed for over 700 yards and 7 touchdowns, with a 2025 campaign where he ran for nearly 650 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was a nice complement to Love, who ran for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Williams ran for just 200 yards as the Irish's third-string back. However, he did show plenty of spark and reason for fans to be excited about what he can do when he's the primary back.
That spark was especially shown off against Stanford when Love exited with an injury. Williams carried 10 times for 83 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Cardinal. That included a 51-yard dash. Earlier in the year, he logged a 54-yard touchdown run.
Notre Dame has unusual riches in the backfield, even with Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price leaving. Williams could end up one of the best running backs in the country next season.