Autry Denson Eager To Reload Notre Dame Backfield Again
In his first season as Notre Dame’s running backs coach in 2015, all-time Fighting Irish rushing king Autry Denson faced an instant dilemma.
Senior captain Cam McDaniel (the team’s top rusher in 2013) had graduated, former five-star prospect Greg Bryant transferred in August, and top 2014 rusher Tarean Folston tore his ACL on the seventh snap on offense to open the season.
Yet during that 10-3 campaign, senior C.J. Prosise — a receiver the year prior with 10 career carries to his credit — romped for 1,029 yards, 6.6 yards per carry and 11 touchdowns before getting injured later in the year.
Meanwhile, freshman Josh Adams — a relatively unheralded three-star recruit — rushed for a school freshman record 835 yards, 7.1 yards per carry and six TDs while the team averaged at least 200 yards rushing the entire season for the first time in 17 years.
“One thing I have tried to do over the years is you train guys, but it’s more you develop a culture within the room and then you find guys who will fit that culture,” Denson said. “Nothing will change in regard to how I teach them, trying to develop them holistically."
Fast forward to 2018, and Denson’s backfield faces another rebuild after the culture took several hits. Adams opted to turn pro after his junior season, while sophomore Deon McIntosh — third in rushing last season to Adams and quarterback Brandon Wimbush, amassing 368 yards and 5.7 yards per carry — and freshman monogram winner C.J. Holmes both were dismissed from the football team this winter.
Denson’s backfield for spring practice (which begins March 6) will have only three scholarship players: current junior speedster Dexter Williams (360 yards, 9.2 yards per carry in 2017), sophomore Tony Jones Jr. (232 yards, 5.3 yards per carry) and freshman 5-11, 198-pound early entrant Jahmir Smith. (Note: Head coach Brian Kelly hinted that players pegged at other positions also will receive a look.)
In the summer, 5-11, 190-pound freshman C’Bo Flemister will join the corps after becoming an 11th-hour addition this winter. Consistently upbeat, Denson’s spirituality is not one to leave him panicking.
“What is exciting is you truly do have every guy in that room having an opportunity to compete and contribute at some point,” he said. “So that’s not only exciting for me, because I love the challenge of developing young guys, but it’s exciting for them. Guys come here and want the opportunity to contribute. They truly have an opportunity to do that from the day they walk into the door.”
Williams and Jones Jr. have significantly more collegiate running back experience than Prosise and Adams did at the outset of 2015, although the returning tandem was slowed in 2017 with an assortment of nagging injuries.
A more accomplished all-around back, especially in assignment consciousness and blocking, Jones Jr. took the second-most snaps at running back last season with 199, while Williams had only 83 — and had the ball in hands in nearly half of them (39 carries and two catches).
Adams far and away had the most with 581 snaps, which raised questions about why there wasn’t a more balanced rotation in the backfield.
“You give them as much as they can handle, and you allow them to do what they do well,” replied Denson, whose running backs did not lose a single fumble in 2017. “Every year is different. We’ll see how it shakes out.”
“[Injuries are] all just part of the game. Those guys, they trained their butts off last year. It was disappointing for them because they put in the work. We’re just prayerful that this year will be their year and it’s their time … I want them to stay the course in what they’re doing and hopefully have them take advantage of the opportunities this year.”
An initial assessment will be made during the spring, and then the second one will occur in August camp.
“And then it’s week to week to see how guys take on the responsibilities of their role and how some guys just take off with it and how some guys maybe need a little more time,” Denson said. “But the goal always is to distribute the work when you can.”
Not deemed a home-run threat as a runner, Smith still rushed for nearly 4,000 yards his last two seasons at Lee County High in Sanford, N.C.
“He’s a ball-moving specialist,” Denson said of Smith, who also carries a 4.43 grade-point average and received offers from all eight Ivy League outfits, in addition to numerous Power 5 programs. “You look at his willingness to block and do other things for his team … Anytime you can get a young man here early, that adds to his maturity, his process in regard to developing. He’s walking around with a big smile on his face, so that’s really good to see.”
Flemister likewise has the “holistic” background Denson values, including a 3.4 grade-point average. He had originally committed to Georgia Southern and then Georgia Tech, but was brought to the attention to the staff by director of scouting Bill Rees and director of recruiting Aaryn Kearney following the losses of Adams, McIntosh and Holmes.
The 2,348 yards rushing last season by Flemister led the talent-rich state of Georgia, and last spring he also finished second in the 110-meter hurdles at the Class AAA state championship.
“I call him my throwback player,” Denson said. “He’s a down, dirty, old school, get-it-done type of player. It was refreshing to watch his film. When you put all three of those together (spiritual, academic, athletic), he checks every box for us.”
Matching last year’s 269.3 rushing total, the highest at Notre Dame since head coach Lou Holtz’s final season in 1996 (when Denson was a sophomore), is unlikely. Nevertheless, maintaining a culture of which Denson speaks is non-negotiable to him.
“The goal is always to do whatever it takes … I hope we stay run-heavy,” Denson said.
His objective remains to reload, not rebuild.
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