Brian Kelly singled out freshman running back Tony Jones Jr. after Notre Dame’s first preseason practice.

Then, with Josh Adams and Dexter Williams limited with injuries, Jones again shined during a scrimmage a week later.

“Today was pretty evident that he’s a kid that is reliable and can run physical when he’s asked to,” Kelly said of the former U.S. Army All-American back.

Though Jones is expected to be near the bottom of the depth chart — Kelly said he’d like to redshirt the St. Petersburg, Florida, native if possible — he’s excelled in some key areas.

1. Kelly said at 5-foot-10 ½ and 215 pounds, Jones is able to handle the workload that has been given to him during the early days of practice.

Jones certainly doesn't lack strength or speed. He benched 295 pounds and squatted 450 pounds at IMG Academy. At The Opening Finals in Beaverton, Oregon, prior to this senior season, he ran a 4.68 40-yard dash and logged a 31.1-inch vertical leap.

2. Jones is skilled out of the backfield catching the ball, highlighted by a smooth touchdown reception during the team’s scrimmage Saturday. Quarterback Malik Zaire evaded the rush and found a wide open Jones underneath for a 20-yard TD.

3. He’s been strong in pass protection, Kelly said. Sometimes the toughest part of the game for young running backs, Kelly said Jones has not been afraid to “stick his nose in there,” and had several “really good pickups” during the scrimmage.

“If there was one freshman that jumped in there offensively and looked confident in what he was doing, it was certainly Tony,” Kelly said of Jones, who ran for 564 yards (6.6 per carry) and 11 touchdowns in nine games, while adding 190 receiving yards and a score as a senior at IMG.

Kelly has a history of calling on freshmen running backs at Notre Dame. In his first six recruiting classes in South Bend, only two backs have redshirted: Will Mahone and Cam Roberson. Both of those players departed the Irish early, with Roberson suffering an injury that ended his football career.

And while senior Tarean Folston, Adams and Williams are Notre Dame’s top-three backs entering the Sept. 4 opener at Texas, Kelly said the 18-year-old Jones isn’t a bad insurance policy should he be needed.

“Days like (Saturday), you know you’re in pretty good hands if you do sustain an injury,” Kelly said of Jones.

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