Jadarian Price Is Back And Ready To Run In The Notre Dame Backfield

Just when it looked like the start of Jadarian Price’s career was ready to blast off last year, the launch was put on hold. The Notre Dame running back had a stellar spring as a freshman early enrollee and looked like he was going to be one of the team’s top backs in 2022, but it all came to a crashing half when Price’s Achilles tendon ruptured during summer workouts.

A little more than a year later, the sophomore back is recovered.

"The amount of time and hours we spend around football and watching but not being able to play, that was probably the toughest,” Price recently said of the year of recovery. "Being around it for a year and then not being able to play for a whole year. I’m blessed to be healthy now.

"My body’s doing great,” Price continued. "I have no limitations physically. I feel very confident in my ability. Everyone on the team and all the coaches have as well. No limitations physically with my past injury.”

Price was still mostly a spectator during this past spring’s practices, but worked his way back during summer conditioning and was a full go during his first fall training camp. He was a bit tentative at first during the summer, but quickly felt 100% after the first live sessions of camp.

"Once we get actual pads on, even when we don’t have pants on, we’re still thudding when we have uppers on,” Price said of when he knew he was back. "I knew day one and I give props to the guys in my room. They were with me the whole way in the journey. They believed in me. Ultimately, (running backs) Coach (Deland) McCullough believed in me. That’s really a part of me. Personally, I knew I could do it, then just the guys had my back.”

It’s easy to see how Price’s mental detail could still be rounding into focus. Tommy Rees was still the Fighting Irish offense coordinator during his first spring and during the season he missed. Gerad Parker’s system is not drastically different, but it is different enough as Price rounds into form.

"I think the thing he has to overcome is the mental part,” McCullough said of Price. "Not overcome but continue to strengthen is the mental part. Trusting his reads, route detail, different things like that. Physically the guy looks real good.”

Based on his 2022 spring, Price looked like he would at least be one of the top two workload backs for the Irish last season. With him out, the rushing production was split by Audric Estime and Logan Diggs, who ran for 920 and 821 yards respectively while combining for 15 touchdown runs. After Diggs transferred to LSU in the offseason, Price figures to be back in the mix this season but he’s not concerned with what the depth chart says.

"We all have jobs,” Price explained. "When our name is called, we’re there and we make sure we’re available as a running back room. Coach (McCullough) has always said make sure you’re available. Make sure we lead the offense physically (and) mentally. Make sure we’re just available when our name’s called. It’s not about two or three or one (on the depth chart). It’s just about when your name’s called on a third down, a second down, are you available. That’s the biggest thing.

"It’s really good for our offense, because any time we’re in, whoever’s in at back, they’re 100% all the way,” Price continued. "They get all of their juice for that three-four plays that they’re in and when 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.”

Price is now listed at 5-10 3/8 and 206 pounds. He is up 16 pounds from his listed weight coming out of high school. Along with Price and Estime, fellow sophomore Gi’Bran Payne, graduate transfer Devyn Ford and freshman Jeremiyah Love will all be in the running back mix this season.