Marcus Freeman Names Aneyas Williams as Key Running Back for Notre Dame's 2026 Season
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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish lost a handful of talented players to the 2026 NFL Draft. However, their running back room was hit the hardest. They had two selected in the first round, with Jeremiyah Love going to the Arizona Cardinals (No. 3) and Jadarian Price to the Seattle Seahawks (No. 32).
Last season, the two combined for 312 rushing attempts for 2,046 yards and 29 touchdowns. Together, they also hauled in 33 receptions for 367 yards and five touchdowns. However, Marcus Freeman, who is going into his fifth year as the full-time head coach, is confident that Notre Dame has an exciting new option.
During an appearance on ESPN’s “Get Up,” he was asked who fans should look at to make an impact this upcoming season. Freeman quickly identified junior running back Aneyas Williams.
“The one guy that will play, that has played for us, is Aneyas Williams at running back,” Freeman said. “He’s made some big plays for us, hasn’t played as much as the Jeremiyah Loves and Jadarian Prices, but I’ve always said, you’re not going to replace those people; you have to replace the production.”
“You’re not gonna replace those people, you have to replace the production. … We got some great coaches that have developed these young guys.”
—@Marcus_Freeman1 on Notre Dame losing Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price to the NFL draft 🏈 pic.twitter.com/WdeLm5qR2S
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) July 17, 2026
Sitting behind Love and Price the past two seasons, Williams hasn’t had a tremendous amount of opportunity to play. However, between 2024 and 2025, he has combined for 443 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He’s also brought in 20 receptions for 212 yards.
He was a highly sought-after player coming out of the 2024 recruiting class, though. The Hannibal, Missouri native was a four-star recruit, the No. 4 running back and the No. 150 player in the nation, according to Rivals. He chose Notre Dame despite offers from the Alabama Crimson Tide, Oregon Ducks and Tennessee Volunteers.
He’s also shown loyalty to the Fighting Irish. In today’s era of college football, Williams could have transferred away knowing Love and Price were ahead of him. Instead, he’s stayed put and waited for his chance.
He now has the opportunity to prove Freeman right as Notre Dame searches for a new lead back. With increased expectation and a bigger role, Williams could become a key piece to the team’s offense in 2026.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jul 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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