WHEN NOTRE DAME’S running back, Jadarian Price, navigated the rapid-fire succession of NFL combine interviews during February, a pair of inquiries surfaced with greater frequency than any others.
Clubs frequently questioned him regarding his function within Notre Dame’s multiple-back offensive scheme — particularly his experience in sharing the limelight with Jeremiyah Love, the dynamic force who, the previous season, secured the Doak Walker Award as the leading college running back.
“The other half inquired: Why did you not seek another destination to be a primary back?” Price articulated.
Price and Love attended the combine to undergo assessment as individual draft candidates, judged on their distinct merits — yet disentangling them entirely proved challenging. Not only did they occupy the same position and play for the same squad, but both are projected highly in the draft and are poised to enter a league that is evolving in its utilization of running backs.
Though featured backs persist in certain segments of the NFL, an increasing number of teams are implementing and seeking rotational backfields. Super Bowl participants Seattle (Kenneth Walker III, Zach Charbonnet) and New England (TreVeyon Henderson, Rhamondre Stevenson) both employed two-back arrangements within their offenses this past season.
“The NFL has transitioned into a two-back league,” an NFL running backs coach conveyed to ESPN.
“That’s the current modus operandi,” added another NFL running backs coach. “It’s difficult for any lone back to endure an entire season without injury … It presents a challenge for anyone.”
Last spring, Henderson and his Ohio State running back colleague Quinshon Judkins were chosen two selections apart in the second round. Both subsequently enjoyed fruitful rookie campaigns.
Love and Price could possess more favorable draft outlooks. Their ambition is to become only the fourth running back duo from the same institution to be chosen in the first round, and the first since Arkansas’ Darren McFadden and Felix Jones in 2008. ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Jordan Reid, and Matt Miller all identify Love and Price as their top two running back draft prospects.
The Notre Dame tandem is not the sole pairing to be showcased in April. Penn State’s Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, seemingly linked throughout their four years in Happy Valley, are both potential Day 2 selections. Running back duos from the same college have been chosen in 11 of the previous drafts, including four pairs in 2019.
“They clearly value the pairings,” Singleton revealed to ESPN, “because they effectively transition into the NFL.”
The draft might never witness a replication of 2005, when Auburn backs Ronnie Brown and Carnell “Cadillac” Williams were selected No. 2 and No. 5 overall. However, running back tandems are accumulating heightened importance, both for NFL franchises and for collegiate players who embrace the attributes required for success within such systems, resisting the temptation of the transfer portal and its promises of playing time and financial incentives.
“All four of these individuals possess the capability to become Pro Bowl running backs, given the appropriate chance, in the right circumstances,” Ja’Juan Seider, who coached Singleton and Allen at Penn State, and then Love and Price last season with Notre Dame, communicated to ESPN. “And they will be revitalized. These players do not bear the accumulated wear and tear.”
WHEN DELAND MCCULLOUGH assumed leadership of Notre Dame’s running back contingent in early 2022, he evaluated players through an NFL perspective. McCullough briefly competed as a running back in the league and dedicated three years as Kansas City’s running backs coach, contributing to the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LIV triumph, prior to his return to the collegiate level.
His principal message?
“The NFL was not concerned with statistics; it focused on attributes and qualities,” McCullough stated. “I informed the athletes, ‘I’ve been present in these rooms. I’ve been in the NFL, producing 1,000-yard rushers, and it’s not a procedure where we request, ‘Alright, furnish me with a compilation of all Heisman contenders, provide me with a roster of all All-Americans.’ No, you scrutinize game footage.
“I was instructing these players, ‘Do not be swayed by extreme numerical achievements. You can achieve impressive statistics, but you can also incur significant physical strain.'”
McCullough, who spent last season coaching running backs for the Raiders, mentioned that he has never heard NFL evaluators express a desire for college running backs with considerably more carries, but he has heard them wish certain prospects arrived with fewer carries (and impacts). His objective for Notre Dame’s backs was efficiency — optimizing each touch they received, without accumulating so many that their physiques would begin to falter.
In 2022, three Notre Dame running backs concluded the season with 100 carries, and none recorded more than 165. Audric Estime in 2023 led the squad with 1,341 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns, but Love, Price, and Gi’Bran Payne all had 45 carries or more.
“They were able to observe and realize, ‘Wait a moment, this can be effective,'” McCullough remarked. “Audric had 1,300 yards, 18 touchdowns, but up until Game 10, he only participated in 47, 48% of the offensive plays. It was structured for players to achieve very, very high levels of success and efficiency.”
The subsequent season, Notre Dame once again featured three players with 100 carries: Love (163), Price (120), and quarterback Riley Leonard (184). Love, Price, and third-string back Aneyas Williams all averaged over six yards per rush.
By the time McCullough returned to the NFL with the Raiders, Love and Price had embraced the advantages of a multi-back rotation. Their new mentor, Seider, had adopted an identical methodology with Singleton and Allen, each of whom recorded 156 or more carries in their initial three seasons at Penn State. In 2024, they became the first Penn State duo to achieve 1,000 rushing yards in the same season.
“You convey to them the ‘rationale,'” Seider explained. “Your presence on the field for 60 snaps and being fatigued at the conclusion of the game will not aid Notre Dame in securing victory. Your participation in 40 or 30 snaps, with another individual handling 20 of them, and remaining healthy at the game’s climax, when the outcome is uncertain, is logical. Furthermore, I also desire to facilitate your departure from this institution as a high-caliber player, to afford you an NFL opportunity without being battered and worn down.”
Last season, Love spearheaded Notre Dame’s rushing attack and ranked eighth nationwide with 1,372 rushing yards, yet he logged merely 199 carries. Although Price had 113 carries, he maximized them with 674 yards and 11 touchdowns, while simultaneously becoming an All-America kick returner with two scores.
“… You are obligated to make every chance count,” Price asserted. “My approach was, if I can make an impact on special teams and demonstrate to people, you know, that I possess the ability to create plays with the ball in my hands, then they will have no alternative but to deploy me on the offensive side and generate results.”
WHEN ALLEN AND Singleton commenced
to Penn State as top-150 prospects in the squad’s 2022 cohort, they forged an immediate connection.
“Our pitch to those young men emphasized preserving their vigor and conserving their energy reserves for their professional football careers,” remarked James Franklin, former Penn State coach.
Singleton and Allen shared accommodations during their collegiate years, and continued this arrangement during their NFL draft readiness period. Their academic-athletic path is becoming progressively uncommon in the age of the transfer portal — a pair of accomplished running backs, both possessing starting-caliber abilities, choosing to remain with the identical squad and distribute playing time across four complete campaigns.
“Our connection was instant because we possess similar personalities,” Allen shared with ESPN. “We maintain a private demeanor. Our bond is genuine, and we steer clear of superficialities. Our birth dates are separated by merely two days. It felt predestined.”
They displayed nearly parallel statistics in their initial couple of campaigns at Penn State: rushing attempt totals between 156-172, scoring plays spanning 6-12, and gaining between 752-1,061 yards. Despite Allen recording an additional 48 rushing attempts in 2024, he amassed 1,108 yards, merely nine more than Singleton’s total, who registered four extra scoring runs. The previous season revealed greater disparities, as Singleton recorded his lowest career figures for carries (123) and rushing yardage (549), even though he scored 13 touchdowns.
“… Distributing the rushing attempts held significant importance for us,” stated Singleton. “Each of us earned those opportunities to run the ball.”
Cohesion is a frequent characteristic among accomplished collegiate running back duos aspiring to professional football. Williams and Brown exemplified this at Auburn, amassing a joint total of 6,538 lifetime rushing yardage and 73 scoring plays across 1,254 rushing attempts.
They maintained a strong friendship once they entered the professional ranks and participated in one another’s marriage ceremonies.
“If you have that constructive dynamism, a persevering mental framework, and an altruistic disposition, the dual-back arrangement proves excellent,” stated Williams. “One must genuinely desire to commend and witness the success of their counterpart, even when one is not actively playing, and possess an intensely competitive drive. Both individuals must embody these traits for the system to function effectively.”
The strong bond they forged at Auburn extended its benefits beyond their personal lives.
“That aspect of their character, when professional football talent evaluators questioned the pair, held significant weight,” commented Eddie Gran, then the running backs coach for Auburn. “[The scouts] delved into various inquiries: Did they exhibit anger? Was there any discord? Those factors truly mattered to them, knowing they were acquiring not only capable team members but also individuals of high moral standing.”
McFadden and Jones originated from analogous familial environments, devoted their formative years to demonstrating their abilities against more experienced athletes, and subsequently rose to prominence for Arkansas. Despite McFadden emerging as the preeminent collegiate running back of his generation — a two-time recipient of the Doak Walker Award, a two-time Heisman Trophy contender, and a three-time first-team All-SEC honoree — Jones nevertheless established his own niche, surpassing 1,100 rushing yards in his concluding two campaigns.
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“We consistently motivated one another, through amicable competition,” remarked McFadden. “Our rapport was exceptional. It’s remarkable to consider, given our shared positional role, but the camaraderie and kinship we established … proved to be a profound journey.”
Having undergone the assessment procedure as an athlete, Williams gained insight from an alternative perspective, serving as the Raiders’ running backs coach in 2024. He noted that the NFL still emphasizes the collaborative dynamics among rotational running backs.
“It places a burden on, ‘Hey, if you fail to perform, a peer of equal caliber is ready to step in,’ thus fostering accountability,” he explained. “Many individuals possess talent, but what distinguishes you? When organizations conduct interviews, they must assess your character: Your degree of selflessness, your cooperative nature, and your willingness to make concessions.”
THE ENSUING INQUIRY Price frequently encountered during combine week — Why did you elect to remain? — was a query he had faced countless times through the years. Even within the confines of the Notre Dame football facility.
“There was a general presumption that I would depart,” he stated.
Allen and Singleton encountered comparable rumors circulating throughout their four-year tenure at Penn State.
“We might have readily transferred elsewhere,” Allen remarked.
Price was well aware of the transfer portal’s appeal. Had he departed Notre Dame, he might have secured additional rushing attempts and financial compensation, potentially even competing in a more temperate region akin to his native Texas. The enticement of being the undisputed primary running back held genuine sway.
As Love excelled towards the end of the 2024 season, igniting the squad’s College Football Playoff journey with a 98-yard scoring dash during an initial-round contest versus Indiana, the hierarchy at Notre Dame grew reasonably distinct, despite rushing attempts still being allocated sparingly.
“Certain individuals find themselves in circumstances almost necessitating a transfer, yet that wasn’t my case,” Price stated. “I undertook the challenge of sharing rushing opportunities with a Doak Walker Award recipient. Many individuals would avoid such a demanding situation. … We achieved significant successes jointly.”
The professional football league’s assessment of Price, and his eventual draft position, will reveal the league’s perspective on players from dual-back schemes, particularly the designated secondary choices. Tim Horton, who mentored McFadden and Jones as Arkansas’ running backs coach, recalled certain misgivings regarding Jones, who never registered more than 154 rushing attempts in a collegiate campaign.
“It resembled a Batman and Robin dynamic,” Horton commented. “Numerous inquiries arose regarding: Could Felix function as the primary ball carrier? Darren received the majority of rushing attempts and was considered the prominent figure in the group. Could Felix manage such a role, given he wasn’t accustomed to that volume of carries? Could the secondary figure ascend to the lead role?”
Eventually, the Cowboys determined he was capable, selecting Jones at the 22nd spot in 2008. However, Jones never surpassed 185 rushing attempts and 800 yards within a single season throughout his six-year professional tenure.
McFadden achieved two seasons with over 1,000 rushing yards, a feat accomplished in two of the three years where he accumulated more than 200 rushing attempts.
During his NFL Scouting Combine discussions, teams highlighted to Price his lack of starts as a running back for Notre Dame, and that he never registered more than 15 rushing attempts in a single contest.
“Certain individuals would bring up that drawback, and my response was, ‘I am an athlete,'” he explained. “My physique is in prime condition. I possess the ability to be a starting NFL running back, I am proficient in special teams roles, I can handle 30 rushing attempts per game. My role [at Notre Dame] was simply a product of the circumstances.”
A professional football running backs coach asserted that Price’s cumulative rushing attempt count ought not
be held against him, observing that the “criteria have shifted” regarding how ball carriers are appraised. Another NFL running backs coach mentioned Price offers “a remarkable skill set” to the league.
Numerous backfield players in similar circumstances, such as Love and Price, or Allen and Singleton, often diverge. Gran, who guided college running backs into the transfer portal era, doesn’t foresee many more duos like Brown and Williams remaining united until draft day. Transferring has consistently, and will continue to, enhance the draft prospects for particular backs.
However, the Penn State and Notre Dame athletes harbor no regrets about staying put.
“Our loyalty is strong, man,” Singleton articulated. “We didn’t wish to abandon Penn State in such a fashion. We returned for a specific motive.”
Franklin remarked: “They concluded their careers among the all-time leaders in Penn State’s history, alongside a multitude of other backs who did not split playing time. That’s profoundly revealing.
AS THE 2005 draft approached, Gran’s telephone rang incessantly. Everyone was eager to discover the destinations of Brown and Williams.
“[The NFL] genuinely struggled to differentiate them,” Gran stated. “Two players chosen within the initial five picks, it’s simply unprecedented.”
Brown and Williams remain the sole pair of running back teammates selected in the top five, or even the top 20, according to ESPN’s research. Since 2005, when three running backs were taken in the top five (Texas’ Cedric Benson was picked between Brown and Williams at No. 4), only six total ball carriers have been chosen within the top five, including McFadden (No. 4 in 2008).
After a sequence of three top-five selections from 2016 to 2018, the running back market experienced a downturn. No backs were chosen in the top 23 picks from 2019 to 2021, with zero first-rounders in the 2021 draft. Nevertheless, an increase in overall selections might be forthcoming, as five backs were taken within the top 60 picks of last year’s draft, and 15 secured spots in the top 151.
Whichever franchise drafts Love will likely designate him as a potential primary rusher. Miller ranks the Notre Dame standout as his premier overall prospect, while Kiper places him at second.
“Every squad desires that once-in-a-generation talent, a Saquon Barkley, an Adrian Peterson, a Barry Sanders,” Williams conveyed.
However, there’s also a recognition, from both the organizations and the athletes, that most running back scenarios will involve rotation. Allen and Singleton admired the Lions’ duo, David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, who split carries over the past three seasons until Montgomery was traded last month.
“I would characterize [Allen] as Montgomery and myself as Gibbs,” Singleton mentioned. “We cherished that partnership immensely, especially how they complemented each other.”
Having developed in comparable environments, the transition for college duos to the NFL is not anticipated to be difficult.
“They’ve been integrated into established systems, and then they arrive here and excel,” an NFL running backs coach observed. “It provides a young player the chance to assimilate into the NFL, comprehend the offensive schemes, grasp protections, and understand the velocity of the game.” Singleton and Allen will maintain close communication throughout draft weekend, as will Love and Price, as they await the announcement of their selections. Seider noted he might require a private jet to celebrate with both pairings he mentored.
Draft weekend can bring both surprises and disappointments, particularly for a position like running back, where team valuations fluctuate. Prominent ball carriers like Nebraska’s Emmett Johnson (251 carries in 2025) are accessible, and athletes such as Arkansas’ Mike Washington Jr. have thrived during the pre-draft period. Singleton, meanwhile, sustained a foot fracture during Senior Bowl practice and underwent surgical repair, casting uncertainty upon his future prospects.
Allen isn’t perturbed about where he and his dear companion will ultimately land. He’s simply enthusiastic about reaching the finish line, together.
“I eagerly await witnessing both our names being called,” he expressed. “We entered together, departed together, and will be selected. Our aspirations will materialize.”