Jadarian Price's electrifying play is propelling him up draft boards, with some analysts projecting him as a surprise first-round NFL talent.
There is no doubt that Notre Dame will have a former running back taken in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, but there Irish should hear two running backs hear their name called early in the draft. We know that star back Jeremiyah Love will hear his name called very early in the draft, but his backfield mate - Jadarian Price - could be rising up draft boards as well.
A high number of NFL Draft analysts have Price ranked as the second best back in the class, behind only Love. ESPN's Mel Kiper, Dane Brugler from The Athletic and Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network all have Price ranked as the second best back in the draft. While most project Price in the second round, Jeremiah is starting to believe Price could find his way into round one.
"There's his teammate now who's a good player, whose got some support in that early second round, maybe he sneaks into the bottom of the first round," Jeremiah said on his podcast.
Price was outstanding for Notre Dame the last two seasons, rushing for 1,420 yards and 18 touchdowns while averaging 6.1 yards per carry. Although he didn't make much of an impact in the pass game (15 career catches, 3 TD), Price was an impact return man during his Notre Dame career. The Texas native returned three kicks for touchdowns in his career, including two against USC (2023, 2025).
There are multiple reasons why Price could be jumping draft boards, and why he might hear his name called earlier in the draft than most are currently project. One reason is obvious, he's a talented back with very impressive film. The other reason is that this isn't considered a deep draft class at running back. After Love there is considered a drop off, and Price is arguably the next best back in the draft. How far a team views him ahead of the remaining backs on the board could impact where he gets picked. If you don't view this as a good RB class, or if you grade Price well ahead of other backs, taking him in the late first round or early second right would make sense.
Price was outstanding for the Irish, so his film will be impressive. There are things he can continue to do to bump his draft stock. He was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, which starts later this week. Price is expected to work out, and a strong performance there and at Notre Dame's Pro Day could play a role in him jumping up in the draft.
If Price is able to test well with run a sub 4.5 in the 40-yard dash and show explosiveness in testing numbers he could draw more attention. If he can perform well in drills, especially pass catching drills, that could have an even greater impact. Price was an impressive pass catcher in high school, but he wasn't used much in that department at Notre Dame. That's important in the NFL, so him impressing at the combine with his pass catching skills could give him a boost.
Notre Dame has not had a running back taken in the first round since Jerome Bettis went No. 10 overall in the 1993 NFL Draft. Notre Dame hasn't even had a second round back since 2004 when Julius Jones was taken No. 43 overall by the Dallas Cowboys. Landing two in this year's first round would certainly give the Irish staff something to sell on the recruiting trail, but even having Price go in the second round - and become the second back to come off the board - would still give the Irish a huge boost on the trail.
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