Notre Dame football 2022: running back preview
In terms of talent, Notre Dame didn’t lose a ton from the 2021 squad as they get ready to enter 2022 but one spot they did, specifically on the offense was at running back. Kyren Williams led the Irish in rushing each of the last two seasons but is off to the NFL where he was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams this past spring.
However, the Notre Dame backfield is seemingly as flooded with talent as it has been in quite some time. Now can it transition to on-the-field success, and can it stay healthy?
Those answers will go a long way in determining how far Notre Dame’s offense goes in 2022. Find out more about the running backs room below.
Replacing a great
Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images
[autotag]Kyren Williams[/autotag] was a four-star running back recruit out of St. Louis when he joined Notre Dame’s 2019 recruiting class. After barely seeing the field in 2019, Williams emerged as a star in 2020 as he ran for 1,125 yards and scored 14 touchdowns. A year later he again crossed the 1,000 yard rushing mark and scored 17 times while being dynamic in the passing game and as a pass blocker.
Notre Dame will also have to fill the void of former Irish running back [autotag]C’Bo Flemister[/autotag] who left the team this past spring and transferred to Pitt. Flemister ran for 10 touchdowns in his time at Notre Dame but had just one carry in 2021.
Chris Tyree's coming out party?
Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images
Speed, speed, and more speed is what we heard about [autotag]Chris Tyree[/autotag] from the second Notre Dame’s recruitment of him began. At times we’ve seen it but Notre Dame will want to see it a lot more in 2022.
Tyree has many abilities on the football field: he’s shown flashy plays as a running back, a burst of speed that very few can compete with, and skills as a special teams returner that helped turn the entire tide of the Wisconsin game in 2021. However, the most important ability one can have is availability and with Tyree that has been a question since high school.
Tyree has the potential to take perhaps the biggest leap of any Notre Dame offensive player in 2022 and what should be an improved offensive line should help that, but if he’s unable to stay on the field with any regularity it won’t make much of a difference.
Can you Diggs it?
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Had I projected a depth chart for Notre Dame in 2022 back in January I very possibly could have listed sophomore [autotag]Logan Diggs[/autotag] as RB-1. Diggs tore his labrum during the Blue-Gold game this spring and his availability for September is very much in jeopardy.
The sooner Diggs is able to go the better it is for himself and for Notre Dame in 2022 as he saw his playing time only grow in the second half of 2021. His ability in the passing game will be a benefit as well [autotag]Tommy Rees[/autotag] certainly looks for help in developing that.
The Bus 2.0?
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I get it, comparing anyone to a hall of fame player is just unfair but in all seriousness, who is better to compare sophomore running back [autotag]Audric Estime[/autotag] to? The one-half man, one-half bulldozer checks in at nearly 230-pounds just may be the breakout running back for the Irish in 2022.
Estime isn’t going to outrun people but good luck bringing him down one-on-one. If Diggs is unable to get going early in camp or early in the season for that matter, it’ll be Estime that sees the field more as a result and possibly make that breakout impact.
Injury bug bites freshman
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It didn’t even take until fall camp of his freshman year for the injury bug to show it’s ugly and undesired face to running back [autotag]Jadarian Price[/autotag]. The 5-10, 190-pound running back from Texas who starred in the spring game ruptured his achilles this summer and will miss all of 2022. Huge things weren’t anticipated for Price entering the year but an injury like that to someone who is built much on their speed is certainly a concern for the years ahead.
Payne train
just because y’all waited..@NDFootball @Hayesfawcett3 pic.twitter.com/3wEQubk7EU
— Gi’Bran Payne🧸 (@upnexxt03) April 15, 2022
A late addition to the 2022 recruiting class was running back [autotag]Gi’Bran Payne[/autotag] who was originally a commitment to Indiana. However, when running backs coach [autotag]Deland McCullough[/autotag] moved to Notre Dame, Payne reopened his recruiting and ultimately wound up with the Irish. The hope would be that he’s not called upon much in ’22 because the issues that would mean for those mentioned above, but with the way injuries have already impacted this room during it’s respective time at Notre Dame it certainly helps to have his depth.
2022 position prediction
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Replacing a talent like Williams is no simple task but Notre Dame has as capable of running back room as they’ve had in a very long time. The skills are there on paper for this to be a very good group and playing behind what should be a significantly improved offensive line will only do Notre Dame favors.
Tyree has the most experience of this group and it almost feels like now or never time for him at Notre Dame this year. His talents are there but his health will ultimately decide if 2022 will be his coming out party the Irish so badly crave.
As a whole I feel good about this group on their own but I just can’t get past the significant injuries they’ve already had to suffer through. If this group can stay healthy however I would look for there to be an improved ability in running the ball compared to 2021, even with Williams off to the NFL.
Related links:
Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
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