Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2016 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 51 RUNNING BACKS POSITION COACH Former Irish and NFL running back Autry Denson is in his second year as the running backs coach at his alma mater. In 2015, he coached a Notre Dame backfield that rushed for 1,967 yards and 18 touchdowns on 299 carries (6.6 yards per attempt). The Irish eclipsed the 200-yard mark in six games — including a 457-yard performance against UMass, the best rushing total by Notre Dame in 23 years — and averaged 207.6 yards per contest. Denson's first coaching job came in 2010, when he served as the head man at Pope John Paul II High School in Boca Raton, Fla. He spent the next three years coaching the running backs at Bethune-Cookman. After mentoring the ball carriers at Miami (Ohio) in 2013, he accepted the same post at South Florida. However, when the Notre Dame job came open, he jumped at the chance to return to his collegiate home despite never coaching a game at USF. As an Irish running back, Denson was a three-year starter and two-time MVP, and still stands as the pro - gram's all-time leading rusher with 4,318 yards. He ranks second with 43 career rushing touchdowns and 5,327 all-purpose yards. He capped his career as an Associated Press All-American in 1998. The 1999 Notre Dame graduate was a seventh-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and spent time with four teams during his five-year NFL career. RETURNING PLAYERS JOSH ADAMS • RB So. • Warrington, Pa. Ht.: 6-1½ • Wt.: 219 Career Highlights: Saw action in all 13 games and made three starts in 2015 … Led the Irish in yards per carry (7.1), ranked second in rush- ing yards (835) and rushing yards per game (68.2), and ranked third in carries (117) and rushing touchdowns (six) … His 835 rushing yards are the most by an Irish freshman in school history (bested previous record of 786 set by Darius Walker in 2004) … Equaled the school's freshman record with four 100- yard rushing games … Compiled a freshman school-re- cord 168 rushing yards at Stanford … Set a Notre Dame record, and tied the NCAA freshman record, with a 98- yard touchdown run against Wake Forest, which was the longest play from scrimmage in the nation last season. Prep: Ranked by 247Sports as a four-star prospect, the No. 6 senior in Pennsylvania, and the nation's No. 17 running back and No. 195 overall player … As a senior, he rushed 209 times for 1,618 yards (7.7-yard average) and 27 touchdowns … He also caught 17 passes for 267 yards (15.7 yards per catch) and four scores … One of six running backs named to the 2014 Pennsylvania Football Writers all-state team for Class AAAA, the highest divi - sion … Rushed for more than 2,000 yards and scored 32 touchdowns as a sophomore, but had his junior year cut short by a torn ACL. Personal: Born Oct. 29, 1996 … Enrolled in First Year of Studies. Year G-GS Att. Yds. Avg. TD 2015 13-3 117 835 7.1 6 JUSTIN BRENT • RB Jr. • Speedway, Ind. Ht.: 6-1½ • Wt.: 220 Career Highlights: Made the tran- sition from wide receiver to running back last year, but did not see any game action … Played in nine con- tests in 2014, primarily on special teams. Prep: Rivals ranked him as a four-star prospect, the No. 1 player in Indiana, and the No. 11 wide receiver and No. 84 overall player in the country … A four-year varsity standout at Speedway High … As a senior, he was named Indiana Class 3A first-team All-State at wide receiver/running back by the Associated Press … Rushed for 1,315 yards and 18 touchdowns, hauled in 28 passes for 387 yards and five scores, and also tallied 33 tackles and three interceptions at safety. Personal: Born Aug. 11, 1995 … Enrolled in the Col - lege of Arts and Letters, majoring in film, television and theatre. TAREAN FOLSTON • RB Sr. • Cocoa, Fla. Ht.: 5-9½ • Wt.: 214 Career Highlights: Started the 2015 season opener against Texas and carried the ball three times for 19 yards before suffering a torn ACL that resulted in season-ending knee surgery … Started 10 times and played in every game while leading the Irish in rushing in 2014 … Gained 889 yards and scored six touchdowns on 175 carries (5.1-yard average), marking the most rushing yards by an Irish sophomore since 2005 (Darius Walker, 1,196) … Also hauled in 18 passes for 190 yards (10.6 yards per catch) and a score … Logged action in 12 games in 2013, including two starts … Totaled 470 yards on 88 carries to rank third on the team in both categories … Tied for the team lead with three rushing touchdowns … Also caught five passes for 35 yards … Was named Notre Dame's Offensive Newcomer of the Year after he totaled the sixth-highest rushing yardage total by an Irish rookie. Prep: Listed as a four-star recruit, the No. 17 senior in Florida, and the nation's No. 6 athlete and No. 66 overall prospect by ESPN … Was named the Associated Press Class 4A first-team all-state running back and Florida Today Offensive Player of the Year in 2012 after he rushed for 1,722 yards and 16 scores … Also hauled in nine passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns, and intercepted four passes on defense for the Cocoa High team that advanced to the state semifinals … Returned one pick for a score and added touchdowns on two kickoff returns, while also serving as the team's punter … Earned first-team all-state honors as a junior, after rushing for 1,286 yards and 17 touchdowns while add - ing two scores via receptions … Played in the Under Armour All-America Game where he intercepted one pass, broke up another and added a tackle as a defen- sive back for the victorious team. Personal: Born Jan. 10, 1995 … Enrolled in the Col- lege of Arts and Letters, majoring in film, television and theatre. Year G-GS Att. Yds. Avg. TD 2013 12-2 88 470 5.3 3 2014 13-10 175 889 5.1 6 2015 1-1 3 19 6.3 0 Totals 26-13 266 1,378 5.2 9 DEXTER WILLIAMS • RB So. • Winter Garden, Fla. Ht.: 5-10¾ • Wt.: 210 C a re e r H i g h l i g ht s : P l aye d i n seven games last year, primarily as a reserve running back … Car- ried the ball 21 times for 81 yards (3.9 yards per rush) and one touch- down … Also notched a 20-yard kickoff return. Prep: Listed as a four-star prospect, Florida's No. 16 senior, and the nation's No. 5 running back and No. 78 overall prospect by ESPN … Despite an injury-plagued senior year, he rushed for 871 yards and 10 scores, while helping West Orange to its best season in school history with an 11-1 record … Ranked by the Orlando Sentinel as the No. 8 prospect in Central Florida. Personal: Born Jan. 5, 1997 … Enrolled in First Year of Studies. NEWCOMERS TONY JONES JR. Fr. • St. Petersburg, Fla. Ht.: 5-10 • Wt.: 219 Prep: Rivals rated him as a three-star recruit, the No. 75 player in the Sunshine State and the No. 21 running back in the country … During his senior sea- son at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy, rushed for 564 yards (6.6 yards per carry) and 11 touchdowns in nine games, while adding 190 receiving yards and a score … Ran for 771 yards (11.7 yards per carry) and 12 touchdowns as a junior at IMG Academy … Racked up 1,145 yards and 12 touchdowns during his sophomore campaign at St. Petersburg (Fla.) Catholic … Played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Personal: Born Nov. 24, 1997 … His father, Tony Sr., played linebacker at Illinois State (1988-92), with current Irish associate head coach Mike Denbrock (1990-91) and Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer (1988-89) serving on the coaching staff. DEON MCINTOSH Fr. • Pompano Beach, Fla. Ht.: 5-11 • Wt.: 180 Prep: Listed as a three-star prospect, the No. 95 player in the Florida and the No. 18 all-purpose back nationally by Rivals … Finished as Cardinal Gibbons High's third all-time leading rusher (2,559 yards) and second all-time leading scorer (210 points on 35 touchdowns) … Carried 104 times for 708 yards (6.8 yards per rush) and eight touchdowns as a senior, and added 21 catches for 178 yards (8.5 yards per catch) and two scores … Had 127 attempts for 834 yards (6.5 yards per carry) and 12 touchdowns as a junior, and also caught 41 passes for 386 yards (9.4 yards per catch) and two scores. Personal: Born July 27, 1997 … His brother Richard is a sophomore defensive end for the University of Miami. PLAYER BIOGRAPHIES BGI'S 2016 DEPTH CHART No. Running Back Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 25 Tarean Folston 5-9½ 214 Sr./2 33 Josh Adams 6-1½ 219 So./3 2 Dexter Williams 5-10¾ 210 So./3 11 Justin Brent 6-1½ 220 Jr./3 34 Tony Jones Jr. 5-10 219 Fr./4 38 Deon McIntosh 5-11 180 Fr./4