After missing his freshman season due to injury, Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price has clearly demonstrated the ability to overcome adversity.
The highly recruited sophomore running back from Texas selected Notre Dame over his home-state power Texas, Ohio State, and Stanford. A stellar Spring camp as a freshman suggested a starring role in the offense was near. Price, however, ruptured his Achilles in the Summer of 2022, delaying his chance to show what he can do on game day.
Returning from an Achilles injury is challenging, especially for an explosive running back. But if last week’s game against Navy is any indication, the tough-minded Price has come back stronger than ever. While Audric Estime will handle the bulk of the workload as a running back, Price should also have plenty of opportunities to contribute. Especially after scoring a touchdown on the initial carry of his collegiate career.
Jadarian Price is Off and Running
Against Navy, Price had his number called late in the first quarter. He made the most of it. He hit a hole, broke a pair of tackles, and scampered to a 19-yard touchdown. The scoring run put the Fighting Irish up 14-0 on their way to a dominating victory. For the game, Price had four carries for 25 yards (6.3 average) and a touchdown.
“You always expect success any time you’re on the football field,” Price said on Irish Sports Daily. “You manifest it, and you expect the best outcome to happen. But nobody expects their first touch to be a touchdown.
“When I scored, I didn’t know exactly what to do,” he added. “I just knew to go celebrate with the linemen. They did their job. That’s the reason I scored. I’m glad I have the teammates I have because when I scored, they were all excited that I scored, and we all just shared the celebration.”
Having to overcome last summer’s injury and the 10-month rehabilitation made the touchdown against Navy even more special for Price.
“When I scored, I really couldn’t believe it. It just hit me,” Price explained. “I had dropped the ball and one of my teammates came up to me and he was like, ‘Good job, but hand the ball to the ref.’ Then I remembered, that’s the standard. Coach (Marcus) Freeman preaches to us all the time that successes around here are short-lived. Wins around here are short-lived. Once it happens, celebrate it, but one play, one life, go on to the next, and do it again. That’s the standard here.”
Notre Dame’s Running Backs Room a Five-Headed Monster
The running back room at Notre Dame is loaded with depth. In addition to Estime and Price, running backs coach Deland McCullough has a five-headed monster at the position. Also at McCullough’s disposal are sophomore Gi’Bran Payne, graduate transfer Devyn Ford, and freshman Jeremiyah Love. Only time will tell, but the group is poised to make its case that it is among the most talented backfields in the country.
“There is one ball and there are a lot of talented individuals,” said head coach Marcus Freeman on 247 Sports. “The ability to say, ‘Hey, all five are going to play. They all played. It’s really a great job by Coach McCullough, but you’re going to have to be unselfish, man. Audric is a great example of that.”
Price sees the five-headed monster at running back as a huge plus for the team.
“It’s really good for our offense because any time we’re in, whoever’s in at back, they’re 100 percent all the way,” Price said on Irish Breakdown. “They get all their juice for those three-four plays that they’re in and then another guy comes in for their job. That process of what we do as a running back room, not only does it help us with our load, but it also helps us with experience. Getting a lot of guys experience and things like that. All five of us can play really well.”
‘The Vet is Coming’
McCullough is no stranger to success. With a Super Bowl ring to his credit in his years as a coach with the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs (2018-2020), McCullough knows what he has in Price. With Price just days into his return earlier this year, McCullough warned on Fighting Irish.com, “And all the guys know, ‘JD’s coming.’ Everybody knows he’s coming. He’s coming back to be a big contributor on the team.”
Prophetic words from McCullough. The resurgent Price gets another shot to make an impression on Saturday. With the Fighting Irish hosting FCS opponent Tennessee State, Jadarian Price and Notre Dame’s running backs should find plenty of room to roam. After fighting his way back from a grueling injury and scoring a touchdown on his first collegiate carry, Price is well on his way to earning even more touches as the season progresses. The sky is the limit.
