Notre Dame Football: All-time Brian Kelly era team

Running Back

Much like the tight end position, there was hardly a competition in terms of who would crack this list at running back. That isn’t to say that the Irish have had bad running backs, but is more of a testament to Adams’ performance at the position. For example, Cierre Wood had a great college career while Theo Riddick and C.J. Prosise both served well in their own respective capacities.

Nevertheless, Josh Adams takes the cake as the greatest running back in the Brian Kelly era. Adams claimed five Notre Dame records during his time with the Irish, with most of those coming in his freshman season. That freshman season would be one of the best ever recorded by an Irish running back as Adams finished the year with 838 rushing yards and six touchdowns.

Adams’ college career continued to climb as he recorded 933 yards and five scores while also factoring into the passing game as a sophomore. However, Adams’ senior year would be his best as he went on to rush for 1,430 yards and nine scores. As an early Heisman candidate in 2017, Adams had already solidified himself as a generational talent for Notre Dame.