Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up
All Scores
Odds by

Notre Dame Gets the Letters: Pair of four-star running backs keep Irish stocked in the backfield

Aneyas Williams.jpg

rivals.com

As Notre Dame loses a record-setting running back to the NFL draft, it reloads with two incoming freshmen commitments, two four-star running backs with different styles, both int he top 20 at the position in this recruiting cycle.

ANEYAS WILLIAMS
Hannibal High School; Mo.
Measurements: 5-foot-10, 195 pounds.
Accolades: A consensus four-star prospect and the No. 145 overall recruit in the class, per rivals.com, Williams ranks as the No. 2 all-purpose back this cycle, behind only Nate Frazier, heading to Georgia.

Other notable offers: Name a blue blood and it probably considered Williams. USC, Ohio State, Georgia and Alabama all chased the Missouri product. Oh, right, his homestate Missouri also got him on campus a few times. But after committing to Notre Dame 53 weeks ago, he never wavered.

Projected position: The quickest comparison here would be to former Irish running back Kyren Williams, both undersized backs out of Missouri with ability in all facets of the game.

Quick take: Aneyas Williams has enough of the tools to represent a lofty collegiate ceiling. He should be able to help Notre Dame not only as a rusher and occasional receiver, but also perhaps on kickoff and punt returns.

Short-term roster outlook: The Irish remain well-stocked at running back, with current sophomore Jadarian Price and current freshman Jeremiyah Love set to star now that Audric Estimé has headed to the NFL, and behind them, current sophomore Gi’Bran Payne and veteran Devyn Ford provide depth. Williams will not be in danger of being called upon too often too early.

Long-term depth chart impact: Ford will be out of eligibility after the 2024 season. If Price plays as is somewhat expected — or more conservatively, hoped for — he could be headed to the NFL then, too. At that point, one of the incoming freshmen will be counted on to join Love and Payne in the rotation in 2025.

KEDREN YOUNG
Lufkin High School; Texas.
Measurements: 5-foot-11, 210 pounds.
Accolades: The No. 246 prospect in the country and No. 16 running back, per rivals.com, the consensus four-star will play in the All-American Bowl next month.

Other notable offers: Eight Division I programs in Young’s homestate of Texas offered him scholarships, as did Missouri and Michigan.

Projected position: Young runs angrier than Williams does, a more physical back with a penchant for avoiding square tackles, thus inflicting his own pain on defenders. Young may have the lower ceiling of the pair, but he can claim the higher floor.

Quick take: The complement of the pair will keep Young in the backfield while Williams nominally serves as the second back in multiple-back sets, creating the matchup problems for opponents that may just work out to Young’s benefit.

Short-term roster outlook: Price packs both the punch and the speed in the backfield right now, lessening the need for immediate power from Young, but he may become a short-yardage back in 2024.

RELATED READING: Notre Dame adds four-star RB and in-state OL after biggest recruiting weekend of summer