Notre Dame’s ground game is still searching for its shape, but Nolan James Jr. may be the runner who gives it some much-needed life.
The sophomore delivered the kind of performance that can change the feel of a rushing attack, piling up 121 yards on 26 carries and scoring once as the Irish ran for 161 yards on 43 attempts in a 3.7-yard-per-carry effort. The team numbers were ordinary. James’ production was not.
He has already been one of Notre Dame’s most consistent playmakers early in the season, finding the end zone in each of the first three games against Wisconsin, Rice and Michigan State. More than the touchdowns, though, James sounds like a back who knows exactly what he brings when the workload starts climbing.
"I think honestly, that's always been my strong suit as a as a back," James shared. "When other people get tired, I get stronger and get more comfortable. This is my first year getting real some time to get into a rhythm, just allowing myself to see things clearly, and it just really helps me get in a rhythm."
That rhythm showed up in the way he ran last weekend. James said he has made a deliberate effort to sharpen his patience in practice, and that work translated on game day.
"I think I've made a conscious effort in practice to really focus on that," the sophomore back explained. "Each and every day, I'm really focused on, even if it feels like over-exaggerating it, because I know in the game it'll naturally speed up a little bit.
So just in practice, slowing down and I think that I've seen a difference. I still need to improve on that but I've just seen some improvement on that in games."
Still, James made it clear this isn’t just about one running back or one blocking unit. The Irish are still figuring out what they want to be on the ground, and he said that process is ongoing.
"I think we're still learning on our identity," James stated. "It's just going to take time for us to figure out truly what we want to be as an offense.
Our mindset is to always attack people and put points on the board, but exactly how we're going to get that done, there's many ways you can get that done. There's multiple ways to skin a cat.
So we just got to just keep figuring that out."
Notre Dame knew this version of the backfield would look different after the offseason, especially with two first-round NFL Draft picks gone. But the room is still loaded with talent, and James is starting to make himself impossible to ignore. If he keeps building on what he showed last weekend, the Irish rushing attack could be headed for a real turnaround.
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Jadarian Price Just Gave Notre Dame Fans The NIL Answer They Wanted
Jadarian Prices decision to stay at Notre Dame last year said as much about the programs pull as it did about his own priorities. Texas Tech came after him with a bigger role and more NIL money, but Price valued the relationships he had built in South Bend and the place he already held in the Irish offense, a choice that resonated in a recruiting era where money often feels like the loudest voice in the room.
Now, with Price off to a fast start in the NFL after going in the first round of the 2026 draft to Seattle, the move looks even better in hindsight. He has opened his Seahawks career leading the team in rushing yards and yards per carry, a tidy reminder that Notre Dame did not lose him to the highest bidder and still got the kind of player whose value carries well beyond college. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Fans Wont Like This BYU Defense Take
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For Notre Dame followers, the frustration is not just the opinion itself, but the idea that roster talent and on-field results are being weighed in different ways. The Irish have earned better defensive rankings so far, while BYUs case leans more on what Mellor sees on film and across the depth chart. With the matchup still ahead, the larger question is whether the Irish can turn those statistical edges into something more concrete once the teams finally meet, because this one already has the feel of a game that will settle a few arguments. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame's Champ Monds Faces One Big Question Before South Bend
Champ Monds arrival in South Bend has already taken a detour, even before he has put on a Notre Dame helmet. The Irish commit underwent surgery on a dislocated left shoulder after the injury happened twice, ending his final high school season early and forcing a sudden pause in what had been building into a key part of the programs future plans.
Notre Dame still expects the reclassified 2027 prospect to be healed in time to enroll early and join spring practice, which keeps the long-term outlook intact. Even so, his rehab will be worth watching closely, because the shoulder is now the one issue hovering over a commitment the Irish beat out Florida State and Ohio State to land. [Read more 🡒]