Notre Dame Football: 5 breakout players to watch in Spring Practice

SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 21: Drue Tranquill #23 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish celebrates with teammates after recovering a fumbled punt in the second quarter of a game against the USC Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium on October 21, 2017 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

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Rising senior running back Dexter Williams is primed to take over the starting role in the backfield after the departure of Adams. That’s just another area where Notre Dame has major turnover on the offensive side of the ball. It’s up to Kelly to keep the running back stable ready to go.

If Williams falls short of expectations in 2018, rising junior Tony Jones Jr. could get called up a lot more. Since fellow running back Deon McIntosh was supposed to be a key part of Notre Dame’s ground game this year and he was dismissed from the program, Jones Jr. becomes that much more important to the team’s success.

Last year, Jones Jr. took 44 carries for 232 yards and six touchdowns. He’s a solid rusher when it comes to the red zone. Williams is a bit more elusive than Jones Jr, and will likely average more yards per carry. However, Jones Jr. did average well over 5.0 yards per carry in 2017.

A few other names to watch in the backfield outside of Williams and Jones Jr. are rising sophomore Jafar Armstrong and freshman Jahmir Smith. There’s going to be plenty of new faces in the Irish backfield this year. Williams and Jones Jr. will lead the way.

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