With key departures, Nolan James Jr. embraces maturity and a demanding offseason routine, ready to seize his leadership role and make a significant impact.
With the losses of star running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, there's been some question around who will step up in the running back room in South Bend. Things didn't get any easier heading into the spring with running backs Aneyas Williams, Kedren Young and Javian Osborne limited or out. One back that has taken advantage of his opportunity as the premier guy this offseason has been rising redshirt freshman Nolan James Jr. who has stepped up to the plate and is ready for a larger role this season.
"He's the most mature young kid I've ever been around," running back coach Ja'Juan Seider said about James. "You learn later on the things you need to do to take care of your body: massages, hydration, the type of foods you eat and getting proper sleep. He's doing that already, which is so rare. Sometimes I have to make sure he's out of the building because he'll be in there at 9:00 at night in the indoor facility going through the script on his own."
"You see quarterbacks do it, but you don't normally see running backs do it," Seider continued about the redshirt freshman. "I'm always trying to tell these guys, if you can play the game of running back through the quarterback lens, how much of a better player you're going to be. They already have the talent, now they have to put talent with intelligence and know how to take care of their body. He's one of the reasons why I feel so confident in how good we can be this year."
James Jr. isn't the biggest running back on the roster at 5-10, 212-pounds, but he's reshaped his body this season and is ready to play meaningful snaps at the collegiate level. Some discounted him because of his size, but the New Jersey native has battle that narrative throughout his entire playing career.
"My whole life, I've kind of always weighed a little bit more and have had a bigger frame and a bigger weight and size than people may have thought," James Jr. explained. "The weight room's never been an issue for me, I always have great numbers and put a lot of work in the weight room. But this year I've got a kitchen now so I'm big on my diet, big on nutrition, sleep and recovery. I think having a more established routine is attributing to that constant weight gain."
The absence of Love and Price left an obvious void on the field, but it was also their impact off the field that was felt to a high degree. The 5-10, 212-pound running back has now taken on a leadership role within the running back room and on the offense as a whole. Younger players are now looking to him for guidance.
"The biggest difference outside of football has been becoming a leader and a vet overnight with the young guys," James Jr. said when asked about spring without Love and Price. "Three, four months ago, I was the young guy in the room, and I was asking these questions. Now we have these young guys, and they're looking at me and Aneyas. I have to know what I'm talking about, and I have give them those answers that I got three months ago. So I think that's the biggest thing."
There's a fantastic opportunity in front of the Westwood, New Jersey native and his breakout so far this spring has him pushing for a solidified spot in the running back rotation. Being named the starting running back at Notre Dame would be considered a great individual success, but James Jr. has his eyes set on team glory.
"Whatever is gonna help the team the most," James Jr. shared when asked about his goal for this season. "I mean obviously I think we can be a great duo and I think we're going to do great things this year. I have some personal goals that I want to accomplish but I'm focused on making the team better; me and Aneyas are gonna be great together."
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