One of Notre Dame's biggest mistakes in its loss to BYU was that it simply didn't give Jonaz Walton enough carries. With just five touches, some even thought the freshman running back was injured. It turns out he was simply underused. It's a safe bet that won't be an issue in the final five games of the 2026 campaign.
How good has Walton looked since he first got touches against Rice? Good enough that some draft analysts believe he could one day become a first-round pick. In other words, while he might not be there yet, Walton could end up being the replacement for Jeremiyah Love, the Irish hoped Aneyas Williams would be.
Among those who are most convinced that Walton has the kind of stuff that will translate well to the NFL is 247Sports analyst Mike Renner. Renner has spent most of his professional life looking at the draft, and his closest comp to a player who was successful in the pros was former Georgia running back Nick Chubb.
"I've seen the comps to Nick Chubb, and that's what Nick Chubb looked like as a true freshman at Georgia," Renner told On3 analyst Drew Mentock in a recent podcast episode. "Just a guy who really didn't have great feel yet for the running back position, but you couldn't tackle him. And if he was out in open space, he was going to run by everyone. That's kind of Jonaz right now."
Jonaz Walton leads No. 5 Notre Dame with 426 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
— Drew Mentock (@AndrewMentock) October 30, 2026
How much potential does the freshman running back possess?@mikerenner_ believes he'll be a first-round pick one day. pic.twitter.com/bbJieNwRWP
Jonaz Walton’s first-round NFL potential makes Notre Dame football usage impossible to ignore
"I mean, I've told everyone I know that Jonaz Walton's going to be a first-round draft pick at some point, barring, you know, terrible injury and luck, knock on wood," Renner said earlier in the podcast. However, he also recognized that Walton will need to get on the field more consistently than he did against BYU.
"When he came in, he's just, like, rolling over these – OK, so BYU has, like, some undersized linebackers, undersized defensive line; they're not the biggest up front, but they want they're fast, they're athletic, they want to create some chaos, and he comes in, and it's just like dragging their front just left and right because he's just a different level of power from Aneyas Williams, a different level of power from Nolan James …"
Not playing talented youngsters and giving veterans who are more "trustworthy" a chance has been a bit of a blind spot for the Notre Dame coaches in recent years. Receivers coach Mike Brown has admitted the same at wide receiver.
On the season, Jonaz Walton has run for 426 yards while averaging 5.7 yards per carry and 3 touchdowns. If he's given the chance, he could continue to put together a very good season for Notre Dame. The kind of talent he's got, it would be a crime if the Figting Irish don't give him a chance.
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