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Notre Dame Football: Who replaces Josh Adams at RB in 2018?

By Connor Muldowney

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 01: Dexter Williams #2 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish breaks away and runs the ball in for a touchdown in the second half against the Syracuse Orange at MetLife Stadium on October 1, 2016 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.The Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeated the Syracuse Orange 50-33. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 01: Dexter Williams #2 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish breaks away and runs the ball in for a touchdown in the second half against the Syracuse Orange at MetLife Stadium on October 1, 2016 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.The Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeated the Syracuse Orange 50-33. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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Josh Adams announced Friday that he’d be forgoing his senior season with Notre Dame to declare for the 2018 NFL Draft. Who replaces him?

Where does Notre Dame go from here? The life of a coach can’t be very easy. One day Notre Dame is riding high after a big win over LSU in the Citrus Bowl to finish the season strong and the next the Irish are dealing with losses to defensive coordinator Mike Elko and running back Josh Adams.

The junior declared for the 2018 NFL Draft on Friday, forgoing his final season of eligibility. Was it the right decision? That remains to be seen, but Brian Kelly doesn’t have time to sit around and debate whether or not his star should have stayed for one final season.

Instead, he has to think about who to replace Adams with in 2018. There are multiple options, but who is the best?

Let’s start with the most veteran of the group: Dexter Williams. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound junior is coming off a career year in which he averaged 9.2 yards per carry, rushing for 360 yards and four touchdowns. He hasn’t looked like an every-down type of back since being at Notre Dame, but he’s a quality option with nice size.

Next there’s Deon McIntosh who is just a sophomore, but he might be slightly behind after being sent home from bowl practices for unspecified reasons. A suspension from the previous season’s bowl game probably means McIntosh will be a backup to start the year, but he has the talent to start for the Irish. He rushed for 368 yards and five touchdowns on 5.7 yards per touch in 2017.

Tony Jones Jr. is also a sophomore and he had a decent season as a backup running back, finishing with 232 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 5.3 yards per touch. He has a thick frame and is a load to bring down. That’s something that Notre Dame could use in 2018 at the goal-line.

Lastly, C.J. Holmes was also sent home from the bowl game by Kelly. The freshman, and former four-star recruit, accumulated stats in just one game this year (North Carolina), finishing with 32 yards on only eight carries. He, too, may find himself buried after the suspension.

Next: Predicting all 41 bowl games and CFB Playoff

In the end, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Irish go with Williams in his senior year over the other three. There’s plenty of talent in the backfield so it could be a running back by-committee deal, but Williams seems like the leader with McIntosh a close second.

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