'This is a different deal,' freshman running backs learn in first Notre Dame football spring

SOUTH BEND — Deland McCullough’s no-nonsense approach is starting to take hold for Notre Dame football midyear enrollees Aneyas Williams and Kedren Young.

Six practices into their first college spring, the promising young running backs are earning their stripes on and off the field in McCullough’s vaunted stable.

“Aneyas is an ascending guy right now,” McCullough said after Wednesday’s session. “This ain’t Hannibal (Mo.) High School. This is a different deal. But he came here for that. He didn’t come here to get coddled or be told how great he was in high school. That’s in the past.”

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At 5-foot-10 and 203 pounds, Williams drew praise for his body control in pass protection, forward lean as a ball carrier and ability to pick up the signals. After Williams posted a perfect grade for his Saturday practice, McCullough said he heard from the player’s support system back home.

“His mom was calling me like, ‘I’m so happy!’ “ McCullough said of a Tuesday call from Sarah Williams. “That was one practice. I celebrated it with him. ‘Hey, man, you were 100% today.’ He ain’t been 100% since, though. Bring that back.”

When Williams missed the A-gap on a counter play Wednesday morning, his position coach quickly reminded him that was the third straight time he’d made the same mistake.

“Now we’re starting to get a trend I have to stop,” McCullough said. “There can’t be these peaks and valleys. … But he’s embraced the criticalness in a positive way that’s associated with being a great running back.”

Young, sidelined for the past week with a hamstring issue, flashed in the first two practices but now faces a different challenge.

“What he’s learning now is when you’re injured you still have to be mentally engaged,” McCullough said of the four-star recruit from Lufkin, Texas.

In position meetings, Young is still expected to know the answer when Professor McCullough cold calls him. Impressive physically at 6-foot and 229 pounds — “Look at the dude,” McCullough said — Young will be held to the same standard Jadarian Price was after tearing his Achilles as a freshman in 2022.

“I said, ‘JD was out for the season two years ago; he was required to answer every question,’ “ McCullough said.

The coach’s message to Young: “You’re out for a short period of time. You’re coming back. You can’t say, ‘Well, I’ll be back next year.’ No, you’re going to be back in a minute. Let’s stay tight.”

Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for NDInsider.com and is on social media @MikeBerardino.