Running back Jonaz Walton set a Notre Dame record for freshman rushing totals on Saturday. The budding star could have talked about how well he saw the field, or how he was able to dance over around and through opponents in order to run for 181 yards and 2 touchdowns on 13 carries.
Instead, Walton showed a maturity well beyond someone in his first year of college football. After the 58-7 win over Stanford, instead of focusing on his own accomplishment, he went out of his way to thank everyone else on the team.
"It's really cool," Walton said while meeting with the media after Notre Dame's latest win. "I didn't know it was going to happen, but I really can't take all the credit."
"I give it to everybody, to the O-line, to the tight ends, to the coaches. So it wasn't just me. It was a team effort that helped me get to that stat. It's definitely both. I was tired because that was a long run. I'm grateful for it. And the celebration with my teammates, them loving me up, it was a lot, but the adrenaline helped a good bit."
Jonaz Walton credits Notre Dame football teammates after record 181-yard Stanford performance
Jonaz Walton credits Notre Dame football teammates after record 181-yard Stanford performance
Walton's record-setting rushing game was just the latest in a season that suggests he might be the next great running back to come through South Bend.
Walton got plenty of attention earlier this summer for pushing the issue for playing time. However, as the season started, most carries went to Aneyas Williams or Nolan James Jr., but with a running game that hadn't impressed up to that point, the coaching staff turned to Walton against North Carolina.
The freshman had a total of 16 carries before Notre Dame took on North Carolina. However, Walton had 23 carries for 120 yards in Chapel Hill.
Nolan James Jr. technically got the start against Stanford, but Walton soon took control again, thanks largely to a 97-yard touchdown run that resembled the one former Irish star Jeremiyah Love pulled off against Indiana in the first round of the 2024 College Football Playoff.
Walton now officially leads Notre Dame's three-headed monster at running back, with 409 yards and 2 touchdowns while averaging 7.9 yards per carry. James is second on the team with 335 yards and 5 touchdowns while averaging 5.2 yards per carry. Williams, the Fighting Irish's opening-week starter, is third on the team with 294 yards and 4 touchdowns, averaging 4.4 yards per carry.
With Top 10 opponent BYU up next for Notre Dame, how the running backs are listed on the depth chart will be very interesting to watch.
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