Notre Dame’s running back room has been getting most of the attention at the start of fall camp, and for good reason. Replacing Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price is a major storyline, and early talk has centered on Aneyas Williams and Jonaz Walton as the names most likely to soak up the carries.
But Kedren Young is back in the mix, and he’s a name worth keeping on the board.
The junior back’s ACL tear last August pushed him out of the conversation for months, and his limited spring work only made the picture look clearer for Williams and Walton. Now, though, Young is back on the practice field and trying to reclaim a leadership role.
He described the recovery as a long road, but one that’s finally brought him back to where he wants to be.
“It’s been a process,” stated Young. “I've been through a lot of ups and downs, trying to recover and everything.
I got to practice with the team. It's good being back with my brothers.
That's the beauty of it, you get to accomplish everything through the recovery and everything, and now I'm back.”
Young said he’s not just back, but feeling better than he has in a long time. There’s a chance the missed time has left him fresher than he would have been otherwise, since he avoided the full grind of the most demanding parts of practice. That’s a development Notre Dame opponents will have to notice.
Marcus Freeman has made a point of stressing a “next man up” mindset whenever injuries hit, and Young’s situation fits right into that approach. With Williams and Walton drawing the spotlight, Young has slipped a bit under the radar. The comparison to Wally Pipp losing his job to Lou Gehrig may be a little dramatic, but it captures the basic idea: a player can disappear from the conversation fast when others seize the opening.
There’s also the simple fact that Young hasn’t had much chance to show what he can do. In 2024, he logged 21 carries for 116 yards and a touchdown. Then the ACL injury wiped out his 2025 season before it ever got going.
That helped Williams gain ground, especially as the primary ball carrier after Love and Price. He looks like the likely starter when the season opens, but the second spot in the rotation is still there for the taking in a system that has long leaned on two backs to do most of the damage on the ground.
Young’s return gives Mike Denbrock and Freeman another live option in a backfield that already has plenty of talent. It also gives Notre Dame another runner opponents have to account for.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Just Gave Marcus Freeman A Shot In Key Recruiting Battle
Notre Dame is set to get a meaningful early look at one of the nations most coveted young pass rushers, with five-star edge rusher Asher Ghioto scheduled to visit for a fall gameday. The Bolles School standout in Florida has already become one of the headline names in the 2028 class, with more than 60 offers piling up as major programs try to get in front of a recruitment that figures to stay crowded for a long time.
For Marcus Freeman and his staff, the visit gives the Irish a chance to make a lasting impression before the race tightens further. Miami is currently considered the favorite to land Ghioto, but Notre Dame remains in the mix, and opportunities like this can matter when a prospect has already drawn national attention so early in the process. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dames Four Freaks Just Sent A Message To Everyone
Notre Dames offseason buzz got a little louder with four players landing on Bruce Feldmans 2026 Freaks list, a yearly showcase of the college games most eye-popping athletic specimens. Francis Brewu led the way for the Irish at No. 24, while Bryce Young, Anthonie Knapp and Elijah Hughes also made the cut, giving the program a four-man presence on a list built around explosive testing, strength work and the kind of raw physical tools that tend to translate on Saturdays.
For a team trying to keep its profile high in the national conversation, that kind of recognition matters because it reflects more than just hype. Feldmans list is built from the sort of numbers players post in vertical jumps, broad jumps and weight room testing, and Notre Dames cluster of names suggests the Irish have more than one elite athlete pushing the standard inside the program. The larger question now is how that measurables edge shows up when the games start for real. [Read more 🡒]