For the second straight season the Notre Dame backfield must replace a dynamic runner that ended his Irish career on a high note.

Last season, it was Dexter Williams that filled the role of big-play specialists after the early departure of Josh Adams to the NFL. Now, the Irish must replace Williams and his 6.9 yards per carry the last two seasons.

Notre Dame returns a relatively inexperienced backfield, but it’s one that has impressive depth and a number of different skillsets. There are questions across the board, but there is a great deal of optimism about what the unit – and first-year position coach Lance Taylor – will bring to the table.

The running backs are up next in our position previews.

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