Notre Dame Football: Josh Adams is 2017 offensive MVP for Irish

The offense for Notre Dame football in 2017 featured one of the best running backs in the entire nation in junior Josh Adams.

Notre Dame football was a College Football Playoff contender for a good portion of the 2017 regular season. Junior running back Josh Adams was a large reason for the Fighting Irish vastly surpassing expectations this year.

The Notre Dame offense slowed down at the end of the regular season, with losses to the Miami Hurricanes and Stanford Cardinal derailing the Playoff dream. However, Adams and junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush remained essential to the offensive success.

Adams totaled 1,386 rushing yards and nine touchdowns so far. He set career marks in rushing attempts, yards, touchdowns, and yards per carry. Moreover, Adams led the team in rushing yards and came in second, behind Wimbush, in touchdown carries.

With Wimbush dealing with some inconsistencies in the passing game, Adams’ production on the ground was huge for the Notre Dame offense all year. He spearheaded the Irish to huge home wins over the NC State Wolfpack and USC Trojans. Adams combined for 393 rushing yards and four touchdowns in those two contests.

Yet, the two most impressive performances of the season might not have been against NC State and USC. Adams averaged 19.9 yards per carry, and notched two touchdowns in a victory over the Miami (OH) RedHawks. And, he registered a season high in yards, with 229 against the Boston College Eagles. With how stout BC regularly is against the rush, it was a polarizing performance from Adams.

Next: SMQ: Stanford finishes in second again for the Heisman Trophy

If Adams declares for the 2018 NFL Draft, Notre Dame has a big void to fill in the backfield. He was the most integral part of the Irish offensive scheme this year. Adams was a legit Heisman contender for the bulk of the season, too.