The Fighting Irish lost a lot of talent in their backfield this offseason, as running backs Jeremiah Love and Jadarian Price were both selected in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft. Despite the departures, Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock does not want to lose sight of the run game this season.
"We're built around the run game, that's Notre Dame football," Denbrock said to ESPN after a recent practice. "That's my philosophy. That's coach (Marcus) Freeman's philosophy. That's who we are. So we're going to have a strong run game, and I believe we've got guys in that room who can deliver on that."
However, Denbrock did admit that Notre Dame's talent on the outside could allow them to deviate from the ground game a little bit more
in 2026.
"We're a little stronger in some areas on the perimeter maybe than we have been the last couple of years. So, does that afford you an opportunity to maybe spread the field a little bit more, and get after people a little bit more with CJ's mind and his ability to throw the ball?" Denbrock wondered aloud. "That's a piece of it, but we're never going to stray very far from our core belief in having a strong run game and being able to lean on it when we need to."
Notre Dame begins their season on Sept. 6 against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field.
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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Notre Dame remains loyal to ground game despite losing two RBs to NFL
