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Entering the 2026 Notre Dame season, the Irish had some big questions to answer. One of the primary concerns was how the Irish would replace two first-round NFL running backs in Jeremiyah Love and JD Price.
Fortunately, the way the early schedule was set up, the Irish could feel their way through this issue in games Notre Dame was heavily favored in, allowing plenty of flexibility and exploration with low risk.
Notre Dame has gone through this process, and I feel it has found the answers it seeks. Now that the schedule is about to get tougher, it’s time for the Irish to stop exploring and let the best player dominate.
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Jonaz Walton has earned the number one role
I understand Notre Dame’s approach through the first six games this year. Each player among Nolan James, Aneyas Williams, and Jonaz Walton has been getting full series to show what they can do in an effort to be fair and give each player a shot to shine.
This made sense as Notre Dame was feeling its way through its new roster choices. But things have changed.
While this approach was practical and perfectly reasonable at first, two things have changed. First, Jonaz Walton has clearly emerged as the most dynamic running back on the team. It isn’t just about numbers; he moves differently.
Plenty of players are physically gifted, but it’s Walton’s patience and vision I’m most impressed with. He is mature beyond his years and has earned a key role on this team.
The second big change comes in the form of the schedule. Notre Dame is done with the lightest part of the slate, and more competitive games are coming, starting with BYU. Each carry will begin to matter more, and none can afford to be wasted on an experiment that has run its course. Walton needs to be the guy earlier in games. Period.
Can’t contain Jonaz.#GoIrish | @JonazWaltonpic.twitter.com/JJVriUhBaC
– Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) October 11, 2026
Aneyus Williams and Nolan James are still very important
Just because I would like Jonaz Walton to get more carries and start games does not mean that I don’t value Aneyas and Nolan. They should both play key roles moving forward.
Now is the time for OC Mike Denbrock and running back coach Ja’Juan Seider to figure out the best deployment options for each player so that they add to what Walton brings to the table, not subtract from it.
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Nolan James has a knack for squeezing through small spaces and collecting positive yardage most times he touches the ball. The Irish can lean into that, literally. Aneyas is a gifted blocker, an underappreciated part of running back play, and both players are skilled receivers.
If handled appropriately, each player can have a fulfilling role on this team moving forward in support of Jonaz Walton.
Today’s best reads
- Notre Dame Obliterates Stanford: Instant Takeaways for Title Contenders
- Stanford Is A Perfect Opponent For Notre Dame This Week
- Notre Dame’s Win Over North Carolina Can Be Seen Two Different Ways
- Notre Dame’s Biggest Winners in Blowout Win Over Stanford
- Notre Dame vs. BYU: Initial Thoughts on the Irish’s Biggest Test Yet
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/notredame as Notre Dame’s Running Back Experimentation Must Be Over.
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This story was originally published October 12, 2026 at 2:39 AM.