Notre Dame Football: Is Dexter Williams the next great Irish running back?
Brian Kelly and Notre Dame football loses a few key pieces in the backfield, but they can afford it with players like Dexter Williams ready to step up.
Notre Dame football faces a lot of pressure entering 2018. They’re likely to be a top 15 team entering the regular season, after a huge turnaround in 2017. A 10-win campaign capped with a bowl victory over Derrius Guice and the LSU Tigers put the Fighting Irish in position to be a College Football Playoff contender in 2018, with a brand new running back in the backfield.
The departure of star rusher Josh Adams leaves an opening for rising senior Dexter Williams. Really the only two running backs coming back with any sort of experience for Notre Dame are Williams and rising junior Tony Jones Jr. Deon McIntosh was dismissed from the program.
Depending on who the starting quarterback is for the Irish in 2018, the running back will make a huge difference in their success. If it’s Brandon Wimbush, the Irish could use a solid rusher to counter the dual-threat ability he offers.
However, if it’s either incoming freshman Phil Jurkovec or Ian Book that Brian Kelly ultimately chooses, the running game will play the usual role that it does in the Notre Dame offense. A solid passer would help open up more room for Williams in 2018, than was allowed for Adams with an inconsistent Wimbush arm in 2017.
In each of the three seasons Williams has been in South Bend, he saw a significant improvement in his stat line. In 2018, he averaged a massive 9.2 yards per carry on 39 attempts. However, Williams did not get any more carries in 2017 than he did in 2016.
Any backup running back that can average just shy of 10 yards per carry behind a player like Adams has the chance to be a premier starter in his own right. Williams totaled 360 rushing yards and five total touchdowns in 2017, and we’ll see that skyrocket this year.
If you’re looking for the one player to watch to breakout for the Irish in 2018, the safest bet is Williams. Notre Dame has a solid offensive line returning in 2018, and Williams has the talent and proven experience necessary to succeed.
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The potential is there for Williams to be the next 1,000 yard rusher for the Notre Dame offense. For the Irish to be a possible top 10 team in 2018, Williams is an integral part of the plan. The running back depth needs some extra reliable bodies behind Williams and Jones Jr. But, Notre Dame has the top two in place.