The Notre Dame football team's running back room is considered to be loaded heading into the 2025 season. Talking heads pay most of their attention to Jeremiyah Love, and eventually, Jadarian Price, one freshman running back, is looking to make an impact in his second season in South Bend. In order to make that impact, Kedren Young has transformed himself into a tank that opposing teams will tackle at their own peril.
Young came into South Bend last year as a highly touted prospect but ran into a blockade to playing time in the form of Love and Price. He finished 2024 with just 21 carries for 116 yards and a touchdown. He appeared in just three games, and because of that, he has retained his freshman status. However, he did get enough experience, including 10 carries for 52 yards and a score against No. 24 Navy, that he could make a real impact this fall.
Kedren Young bulks up into 242-pound power back for Notre Dame
The program has updated its roster as the Notre Dame football team goes through its final steps, preparing for fall camp. And more importantly, it updated the measurements for specific players. That includes Young gaining somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 pounds. That's 15 pounds of muscle.
Last season, the Lufkin, Texas product usually played at around 229 or 230 pounds. This year, he's weighing in around 242 pounds. Standing at 5-foot-11, he has essentially turned himself into a powerful runner with a low center of gravity. An opposing tackler's nightmare.
The weight gain is even more noteworthy compared to Young's backfield mates. Love is listed as 214 pounds right now. He was around 212 pounds this spring. He'll play 210 to 215 pounds throughout the season.
Likewise, Price is a lighter back, usually around 200; he's around 210, but that's still a good 30 pounds lighter than Young. It stands to reason that the freshman back has decided he wants to be the short-yardage battering ram. That's a position that will be open for competition and one that doesn't fit either Love or Price.
Should everything work out, the Notre Dame football team might have made their backfield even more devastating. If every back has a defined role they can master, can any team stop them?