Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 53 RUNNING BACKS QUOTABLE: HEAD COACH BRIAN KELLY ON SOPHOMORE TONY JONES JR.'S SIGNIFICANT ASCENT THIS SPRING: "He is well ensconced in that rotation. He's a guy that if at any time we wanted to call him a No. 1 [running back], we could call him a No. 1. He's done all the things to build that trust in terms of protections, catching the ball out of the backfield. … He's earned that through his work this spring. "Quite frankly, [he's been that way] through the time he's been here. Last year was a conscience decision on our part not to play him more than he was ready to play. … You'll see a lot of him this fall." 2016 VS. 2017: STOCK UP OR DOWN? It speaks well to Notre Dame's situation that even though Tarean Folston — the team's top rusher in 2014 with 889 yards — reportedly was invited back for a fifth season (he was sidelined in 2015 with a torn ACL), he opted to try the NFL instead. With a young stable of developing running backs, how much action the more sea- soned Folston would have had in 2017 was uncertain (he had only 77 carries last year). Overall, the backfield stable appears deeper in 2017, but there isn't as proven a one-two punch yet like Folston and Josh Adams entering 2016. Call it relatively even. X-FACTOR If Adams were to suffer a season-ending injury like Folston did in the opening quar- ter of game one in 2015, would the combination of Tony Jones Jr., Dexter Williams or others emerge with relatively comparable production like next options C.J. Prosise and Adams did two years ago? That 2015 duo "off the bench" combined for 1,867 rushing yards and 6.8 yards per attempt in place of Folston. With a veteran line in front of them and third-year running back coach Autry Denson's track record, we would lean toward believing they could. FRESHMAN OUTLOOK C.J. Holmes is in a situation virtually identi- cal to Jones' last year. Jones had the physical ability to compete well if needed, but with the trio of Adams, Folston and Williams in place, three is about the maximum amount of running backs utilized in a game. Similar to Jones last August, Holmes made a strong early impression the first couple of practices this spring, but when he was shelved after a shoulder separa- tion March 25, a redshirt campaign this year seemed imminent. Like at quar- terback with Avery Davis, the only way we see Holmes playing in 2016 is if a player or two is lost to an injury, suspension, etc. DID YOU KNOW? Lost in the misery of last year's 4-8 season is that not one of the eight fumbles lost by the Fighting Irish was by a running back — likely a first in school history. Adams put the ball on the ground only once in 179 touches (including 21 catches), but he recovered it. In Autry Denson's first year as the running backs coach in 2015, the Notre Dame running backs lost only three fumbles, one by Adams in a 19-16 win over Boston College,and two by senior C.J. Prosise. Overall, ball security has been a huge strength among the Irish backs. SCHOLARSHIP PLAYERS (5) Listed after the class year is the years of eligibility remaining. 33 Josh Adams (6-2, 220), Jr./2 34 Tony Jones Jr. (5-11, 224), So./4 2 Dexter Williams (5-11, 202), Jr./2 38 Deon McIntosh (5-10 ½, 190), So./4 15 C.J. Holmes (6-0, 206), Fr./4 NOTABLE DATA Over the past 12 years (2005-16), ever y national champion but two rushed for 200 or more yards per contest during its march to No. 1. Clemson didn't last sea- son, but Wayne Gallman did rush for 1,285 yards, 5.1 yards per carry and 17 touchdowns, while dual-threat quarterback Deshaun Wat- son added 629 yards and nine scores on the ground. The year prior as national runner-up, the Tigers averaged 223.0 rushing yards per game with Watson. A look at the final Associated Press top 10 from last season also shows strong rushing averages from Alabama (245.0), Wash- ington (198.1), Ohio State (245.2), USC (200.7), Oklahoma (236.8), Florida State (202.3), Wisconsin (203.1) and Michigan (212.9). Junior Dexter Williams provides speed in the backfield and starred in this year's Blue-Gold Game, rushing for a game-high 96 yards on nine carries and catching four passes for 36 yards. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND