Notre Dame Football: 5 bold predictions for September 2018
By Jacob Wilson
4. Tony Jones Jr. establishes himself as No. 1 back
Although his comments have been very vague, Kelly has hinted that this season’s anticipated starting running back, Dexter Williams, will be suspended for a period of time early in the 2018 season. There is still speculation in regard to the specifics of the deal, but the common consensus is that the suspension will hover around four games, should it happen at all.
If this is the case, Tony Jones Jr. would likely be first in line for the starting role. Positional converts Avery Davis and Jafar Armstrong are also candidates but don’t possess the same natural instincts as Jones. Experience and familiarity alone should be able to push Jones up the depth chart in the absence of Williams.
Our sample size for Jones isn’t huge as he’s only recorded 44 rushing attempts during his time at Notre Dame. While you may want to take it with a grain of salt, Jones’ numbers, albeit limited, are pretty impressive. Jones was able to average a 5.3 YPC average on 44 rushes for 232 yards last season, also adding three touchdowns on the ground.
While we’ve seen numerous backups take over long-term starting roles in the past, this serves as a bold prediction due to Jones’ camp performance. As was the case last season, we’ve seen some bright spots, but not enough to instill 100 percent confidence in him as a starter. However, many players only need that one chance, and this very well could be that for Tony Jones Jr.