Autry Denson Has A Deep Backfield To Work With

Autry Denson has some pretty nice toys to work with in 2016.

Notre Dame did lose star running back C.J. Prosise to the NFL, after he rushed for 1,032 yards and 11 touchdowns in nine starts as a senior. Prosise could have returned to the Irish for a fifth year, but the converted wide receiver understood the pass-catching corps lost both Will Fuller and Chris Brown, and there was a chance he could be shifted around again — especially when considering what Notre Dame would retain in the backfield.

Last season’s original starter, Tarean Folston, returns after sitting out most of the year with a torn ACL, which was suffered in the season opener against Texas. The Cocoa, Fla., native had played in 13 games in 2014, rushing for 889 yards and six touchdowns on 175 attempts.

One can only imagine how disheartening an injury like that is for a college athlete. After all the offseason work put in, Folston got just three carries into his 2015 season before the year-ending injury.

Denson said the staff kept Folston engaged throughout the season in an effort to combat that potential negative energy.

“What helped it is when guys go down, we did a great job with we need them more, not less,” the running backs coach said. “So he didn’t get a pass. He still had to do everything we needed him to do; he was still a leader. You don’t give up your responsibilities just because you can’t play. You saw that, when C.J. went down and Josh was playing. Just across the board, we didn’t allow him to not be a part of it.

“I was very proactive about reaching out to him and making sure he knew we still needed him. Naturally, anything that hinders you, it affects you. You just have to fight through it.”

Denson confirmed Folston has put on some pounds — in a good way — this offseason, perhaps to toughen up a bit in a way to try to avoid the next injury. That torn ACL could have provided Folston with a notice of how precious time in this sport can be.

“He does weigh more, but he’s a lot leaner,” Denson said. “It’s lean muscle. He might have been a little softer last year.

“That goes back to his rehab, and just his mindset. You say it, you’re one play away from never knowing, and when he lived it, I think that showed up in the weight room.”

Also returning for the Irish is sophomore running back Josh Adams. He picked up three starts for Notre Dame against Wake Forest, Stanford and Ohio State while Prosise battled injuries, rushing for 835 yards and six touchdowns on 117 carries.

Those totals include a thrilling 98-yard touchdown run against Wake Forest, which ranked as both the longest rush ever in Notre Dame Stadium and the longest play from scrimmage in school history.

“Josh Adams confidence level was sky high when he got to Notre Dame,” Denson said. “So he didn’t do anything but continue to grow.

“But he’s confident, not cocky. He puts in the effort and work.”

Adams has noted one area he must improve in is blocking, which is something many young running backs can struggle with. Denson noted Adams’ admission goes back to how the running back room conducts themselves in evaluations.

“It’s the same with Tarean,” Denson said. “These are highly competitive guys. We’ve all got very high standards for ourselves. He’s not looking at the film to see what he does well; he’s looking to see improvement.

“So when he says improvement, if he misses two, that’s two too many. If he misses one, that’s one too many. So it’s just searching for perfection. We’re always trying to go out there and play that perfect game.”

Also, don’t forget about sophomore Dexter Williams. The former four-star recruit caught head coach Brian Kelly’s attention this offseason with some eye-popping numbers during some team testing drills.

“I would say Dexter, 205 pounds ran 4.51,” Kelly said at the beginning of spring. “I thought that was very impressive numbers for Dexter.

“I think he’s going to be — he’s going to be a force to be dealt with, and his workouts have been extraordinary. He’s a man right now that does not want to get overlooked, and so he’s caught everybody’s attention.”