Notre Dame Offense Will Get A Boost With The Return Of Jadarian Price and Eli Raridon

Notre Dame has a pair of talented sophomores that are working hard to get back on the field to help the 2023 football team. That would be running back Jadarian Price and tight end Eli Raridon. According to head football coach Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame fans should see both of them healthy and ready to shine this season.

Price was a star of Notre Dame's spring session during his freshman season, with some team insiders stating he was the team's most impressive back during the spring. He was poised for a big role in 2022 before tearing his Achilles heel, but Freeman says he's healthy.

"One-hundred percent," Freeman told Irish Breakdown when asked about Price's ability to get back on the field. 

Price is putting in a lot of work to not only be healthy, but to get his game back on track. He certainly looks the part as we get closer to the start of the season.

"I mean, I don't know if he's rehabbing his Achilles or he is just doing curls; he's huge," joked the Notre Dame head coach. "Our two running backs, with Audric (Estime) and Jadarian, those dudes have to be the biggest and most impressive looking running backs in the country. There's no doubt. He looks great."

Not only is Price cleared medically, he's expected to start fall camp ready to immediately help the offense.

"I expect he'll be rolling with the twos to start camp," Freeman stated. 

Notre Dame landed Penn State transfer Devyn Ford to provide depth at running back, and sophomore Gi'Bran Payne is coming off a strong spring. The Irish also welcomed big time freshman Jeremiyah Love this summer, but a healthy Price gives the offense a major boost in potential explosive ability.

Raridon actually played last season, but a second knee injury in less than a year ended his season after week seven. His readiness for fall camp was more of a question due to the timing of his injury and the surgery. Freeman said Raridon is getting much closer to being ready to help this season.

"Only thing he's not doing right now is the entire volume that everybody else is doing," Freeman said if Raridon's recovery. "But he's probably doing 75 to 80-percent of it. It's not that he's not back, where just kind of progressing him to fall camp. He'll be ready to go."

Raridon was a strong blocker for the Irish in his limited playing time, and if he gets back to full speed he has the kind of vertical speed and athleticism to provide the offense with a big-play threat in the pass game as well.

Getting both back would give the offense a major boost in speed and playmaking potential.