Countdown to kickoff: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State is only 23 days away

To preview one of the most anticipated games for Notre Dame this century and the official start of the Marcus Freeman era, BlueandGold.com is counting down the days to the matchup against Ohio State on Sept. 3.

This daily series of 99 stories celebrates by the numbers some of the most notable names, dates, moments and memories related to the past and present of Notre Dame football. 

Today, with 23 days remaining until kickoff, we look at the brief but impactful career of Irish running back Kyren Williams.

Williams donned the No. 23 jersey for Notre Dame from 2019-21 and posted two consecutive 1,000-yard seasons playing in it.

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To say that Williams busted onto the scene as an Irish sophomore in 2020 doesn’t fully explain what an amazing second season it was for the pride of St. Louis.

With senior Jafar Armstrong, along with juniors Jahmir Smith and C’Bo Flemister considered the top three candidates to land the 2020 starting void left by Tony Jones Jr., Williams seemed a long shot to find any role in the Irish backfield. 

Instead, Williams won the starting job, then led Notre Dame that season with 1,125 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. The all-purpose tailback also finished third on the team with 35 receptions and was fifth with 313 receiving yards.

For historical perspective, Williams’ 2020 rushing yardage rates fourth all-time for a true Notre Dame sophomore:

• Allen Pinkett 1983 – 1,505 yards

• Darius Walker 2005 – 1,196 yards

• Autry Denson 1996 – 1,179 yards

Great company indeed. 

But what made the second-season breakout more notable for Williams was the surprise factor. 

As a freshman in 2019, Williams appeared in just two games and carried the ball four times for 26 yards. 

Destined for greatness 

Never short on confidence or enthusiasm, Williams finished 2020 with six 100-yard rushing games; two overtime touchdown runs against Clemson that helped his Irish beat the top-ranked Tigers; ACC Rookie of the Year honors; and a spot on the FWAA Freshman All-American team.

And while most folks around Notre Dame were pleasantly surprised by Williams’ sophomore success, St. John Vianney High School assistant coach Matt Markway was not. 

As a prep senior in 2018, Williams won The St. Louis Dispatch Missouri Offensive Player of the Year honors after rushing for 2,035 yards while adding another 725 receiving yards with 40 total touchdowns. 

“We always thought Kyren was going to have success at the college level,” Markway said this time last year. “I’m just not sure if we thought that success was going to happen so fast and so suddenly.”

Tough sledding

And while the game came easily to Williams as a sophomore, everything was more complicated as a junior in 2021. 

Playing last season behind a revamped and struggling offensive line, Williams averaged only 61.7 rushing yards with four TDs during his first six games. 

But as the line play improved, so did Williams. He averaged 105.3 rushing yards per game with 10 touchdowns in his final six outings. 

Remarkably, even after a sluggish start, Williams still finished last season with 1,002 rushing yards and 14 TDs. He also added 42 receptions with another three scores. 

Williams left eligibility on the table, entered the draft as a junior and was selected last April in the third round by the L.A. Rams. A broken foot in June caused Williams to miss the first 12 practices of his first NFL training camp.

Recently recovered, Williams was activated Monday from the physically unable to perform list, then immediately returned to practice, and is expected to be full-go for the Rams preseason games when he’ll battle Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson Jr. for No. 3 running back duties.

Hoping, of course, to enjoy the same breakout opportunity he did at Notre Dame in 2020.

“Every time I had to be successful for something, I always worked for it,” Williams said. “Nothing’s going to change now that I’m here with the Rams. Getting better, that’s all I know.”