Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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50 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2016 FOOTBALL PREVIEW RUNNING BACKS possible. He knows the information because he's been in the system as a receiver. He's been in it as a running back. Now he just needs to play football." A quick glance at the depth chart would not suggest much playing time is on the way for Brent in 2016 as the No. 4 running back. One year ago at this time, however, Adams would have been consid- ered the fourth-string back. Even though Brent played run- ning back in high school — he rushed for 1,315 yards and 18 scores as a senior — he has a large build for a player at that position at 6-1½, 220 pounds. "There are very few tall guys that you can say are natural running backs," Denson said. "That's in regards to being able to bend your pads. C.J. [Prosise] had that [problem]; he experienced that all year. It's a little bit different and naturally harder for a 6-1 guy than it is for a 5-9 guy that's built with leverage and learning to get behind your pads and not take shots." With Brent and freshmen Tony Jones and Deon McIntosh, Denson does not want them assuming they won't be called upon. Lest one for- get, Denson began his Notre Dame career as a freshman cornerback in 1995, but played running back by his second game and finished as the school's all-time leading rusher. "[Depth] is not just last year," Denson said. "That has always been my mindset. Everybody in that room has to prepare as if they're going to be the guy. I don't allow them [to do any different], and they do a good job of having expectations. "They don't prepare like they're the backup. They wouldn't be in that room if they were. They're preparing as if they're going to be the starter — and it showed last year." ✦ "All around. I want them to continue to push it. Every guy in that room understands that they're preparing as if they're the starter. … I want them to want to be the guy, so they have to go out each practice and compete so when they get reps I want to see them take reps like they've been here because they have." RUNNING BACKS COACH AUTRY DENSON ON THE IRISH BALL CARRIERS One year ago at this time, it appeared Notre Dame's freshman running backs would not be needed in their first year on campus. Just the opposite turned out to be true. Following the suspension and subsequent transfer of the late Greg Bryant and the season-ending injury to Tar- ean Folston, the Irish suddenly faced a significantly altered running back corps with former receiver C.J. Prosise and freshmen Dexter Williams and Josh Adams. Between the freshman duo, Adams received the more extensive playing time and responded with 835 yards and six touchdowns. Williams expects his breakout to come this fall. "Really, I wasn't too focused on the difference between Josh playing and me playing," said Williams, who finished the season with 21 carries for 81 yards and a touchdown. "At the same time, he's a different style of runner and I'm a different style. "As a running back group, we all bring something differ - ent to the table. At the same time it was his time to step up and he stepped up big time. When it's my time, I plan on stepping up big time as well. "It just made me humble myself a lot more. I was able to actually experience not playing every down, every second of the game. It was something that humbled me and made me want to get better and improve on my craft and work harder." Williams rushed the ball 13 times for 43 yards and a score in the Blue-Gold Game, after which head coach Brian Kelly named him one of the most impressive performers in the spring exhibition, and throughout the spring. "What we like about Dexter is his physical, inside down - hill running," Kelly said. "That is where he's impressed us in the spring. We've had some goal-line, short-yardage runs where when he gets his pads down he's an explosive inside runner. That's where right now he's impressed us the most. "We love Josh Adams and the way he hits the ball outside. We like Folston's shiftiness inside, but we really like the way Dexter has shown himself to be explosive, downhill in some goal-line, short-yardage [situations]. … I'm not trying to make him sound like a 250-pound back, but he's been very explosive and downhill with his pads down when he's assertive and he knows what he's doing." "He's naturally a really fast guy," running backs coach Autry Denson added. "That's just God-given speed. He can run. Also he's a better pass catcher than he was when he got here, and he's getting a lot more comfortable in there so you can see some things. Dexter plays with a high level of attention to detail and with want to. Whatever he's not good at, he really wants to be good at, and that's synonymous over the group." The running back contingent will be boosted by the summer arrivals of freshmen Tony Jones and Deon McIntosh, both fellow Floridians with Williams, Denson and Folston. Williams plans to not only hold his ground, but churn up more yardage on it. "I see it as a learning experience for my first year in college football," Williams said. "It didn't go as I expected it to go, but at the same time I'm humble and learning from my mistakes, learning from others and seeing what others have done, like Josh and Tarean and C.J. Prosise. It's really a big learning experience." — Andrew Owens DEXTER WILLIAMS EMERGING MORE IN NO. 3 ROLE Williams excelled in the Blue-Gold Game April 16, carrying the ball 13 times for a team-best 43 yards and a touchdown. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA