Jadarian Price, the big-play Notre Dame football RB next to Jeremiyah Love, declares for 2026 NFL Draft
Both heads Notre Dame’s two-headed rushing attack will take their talents to the NFL next season.
Jadarian Price, the other side of the Irish’s run game next to Jeremiyah Love, has declared for the 2026 NFL Draft, according to a post he made on Instagram.
“I carry with me the lessons, values and memories Notre Dame has given me,” Price wrote in a post on Instagram.
Big picture view:
Price had a chance to vault into the top running back role at Notre Dame. He was technically Notre Dame’s RB2 behind Love, scoring 11 touchdowns on 113 carries, but should never be considered a true second fiddle.
However, it’s hard to fault him for heading to the NFL. Price’s draft stock soared this year as he thrived when he carried the football. He was an electric player who thrived on making big plays.
In 2023 and 2025, Price returned a kickoff for a touchdown against USC at Notre Dame Stadium to snuff any USC momentum and help propel the Irish to a win.
In all but four games in the 2025 season, Price had at least one rush of 20 yards or more. He also recorded 794 kick return yards and three kick return touchdowns in his Notre Dame career.
In his Irish career as a running back, Price carried the ball 280 times for 1,692 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also caught 15 passes, 162 yards and three touchdowns.
To the admiration of Notre Dame fans, Price had some of his best games vs. USC. In three rivalry games vs. the Trojans, Price recorded 198 rush yards and two rushing touchdowns on 25 carries and ran two kicks back for touchdowns.
“Notre Dame has truly been a blessing in my life. Choosing to be a student-athlete here for the past four years is something I will always be grateful for,” Price said in his post. “Through every high and low, this place and its people consistently pushed me to be better, and for that I am forever thankful.”
While Love was the top running back in the country, he had a shiftiness and speed that Price complimented perfectly with his combination of speed and a lightning-quick accelerator.
Love and Price were also finalists for the Pony Express Award, which honors the top running back duo in college football.
Now, there’s a chance the two are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 as running back prospects in the NFL Draft.
The last time Notre Dame had two running backs selected in the same draft was when Jerome Bettis and Reggie Brooks hear their names called in the 1993 NFL Draft.
What’s next:
Price will have the NFL Combine, Notre Dame’s Pro Day and the NFL Draft to look forward to. He’s currently projected as a Day 2 selection, going somewhere in the second and third rounds of the NFL Draft.
Back in South Bend, the future of Notre Dame’s running back room is starting to take shape.
Without Love and Price, sophomore running back Aneyas Williams will be next in line to take over as the Irish’s RB1.
Now, the Irish’s running back room is getting considerably younger. Jonaz Walton and Javian Osborne are set to join the program in 2026 as freshmen. Both were four-star running back prospects, and both could get a chance to earn playing time as first-year players.
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