This Notre Dame football freshman still fresh and focused even after a long year

Posted by Admin January 16, 2025 Football

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SOUTH BEND − Don’t ask Notre Dame football running back Aneyas Williams about them.

Not about freshman walls, and when he might have hit one like all first-year college football players. Not about fumes, and how come he isn’t running on them so far into a freshman season that it feels like he’s already a sophomore.

Williams won’t have it. Any of it.

At a time when he should be ground down with all the practices and film sessions and games and practices and film sessions and, oh, yeah, there’s the matter of a national championship game to be played Monday against Ohio State in Atlanta, Williams doesn’t need an energy drink or a cup of coffee for any false fuel.

He’s fine the way he is. The way he’s built.

That he’s not so mentally and physically spent and cannot tell his Xs from his Os is amazing. Thanksgiving came and went, and he was on campus for football. Christmas came and went, and he was on campus for football. Winter break came and went as well, and Williams was still on campus. Playing football.

The spring semester started this week, and guess where Williams was? Still on campus and still doing football stuff. Following a conditioning session Wednesday, the 5-foot-10, 206-pound Williams proudly proclaimed that he set a personal best in the vertical leap (39 inches, up four from when he arrived), so that was a good day.

In fact, everything about Williams’ general health is good even after a program-record 15 games. Monday is No. 16. There will not be a 17th. If there was, Williams wouldn’t mind.

“I feel like I’m at the peak right now and it’s the last week,” Williams said. “As far as how my body feels and how I feel as an individual, the stress and strain, it’s all just non-existent. I feel amazing.”

Williams is in a great spot heading into Monday’s game. All the attention – no, like ALL the attention when talk turns to the Irish run game is centered on standout sophomore Jeremiyah Love. Before the win over Penn State in the Capital One Orange Bowl, the question about the guy they call J-Love was, who’s he going to jump over? After Penn State, it was who will he run over? See his two-yard touchdown run for evidence.

Backing up Love is junior Jadarian Price, who’s been known to bust a few big runs. Backing up Price is Williams. When defenses see Nos. 4 (Love) and 24 (Price) leave the field, they seem to relax. Not put all eyes on Williams – No. 20 – and what he might do.

Williams will do something. Something important. Something drive-sustaining. Or drive-saving. Pick up a blitzing linebacker so quarterback Riley Leonard has enough time to find the receiver he needs to find. Swing out of the backfield with a screen pass and rack up some needed yards. Run the ball, break some tackles and get those tough yards. Move the first-down chains.

Each time it seems Williams is in the game, he does something to prove why he’s in the game. He’s earned the ultimate trust of the coaching staff. Of teammates. He’s tough to tackle, which speaks to his makeup. He looks more like a fire hydrant in cleats with his shorter, stockier, solid build. It keeps him low to the ground, makes him elusive, allows him to slip out of and past would-be tacklers.

He understands angles. He understands leverage. He knows how to get to where he needs to get to, whatever the means.

Williams needed one week to understand he could play at this level as a freshman. Right off the high school fields of Hannibal, Missouri, and into the cauldron of Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, it wasn’t that big of a deal. It was cool. That first game at Texas A&M told Williams all he needed to know – keep doing what he was doing, and it would work out.

It has worked out.

If Love is the franchise back, and Price is the understudy back, Williams is the great unknown back. You don’t know exactly what he’ll do when he checks in, but he’s going to do something.

“It’s been fun,” he said. “This talented group, it’s hard to even separate yourself, but whenever you get the opportunity to do it, you’ve got to take full advantage of it.”

Same goes for Monday. Big stage or not, it doesn’t matter. Williams doesn’t plan to treat the game as anything more than what it is – a game. On a bigger stage, yes. But a game, just the same. Williams and the Irish get a chance to test themselves, to show themselves, to prove themselves against a team that many expect to walk off with the national championship trophy late that night with relative ease.

Opportunity to prove otherwise is everywhere.

“I love going against the best competition and that’s what we look forward to,” Williams said. “I want to play at my best and be at my best against the best.”

Heading into Monday, he’s carried 34 times for 219 yards and a touchdown. He’s caught 18 passes (more than a few Irish receivers) for 172 yards. He’s saved much of his best for late in the season. Against Indiana, Williams ran for 24 yards on four carries and caught four passes for 15 yards. Last week against Penn State, he carried twice for 17 yards and caught five passes for 66 yards, including a 36-yarder that helped set up a second-half score.

Against Ohio State, he’s ready to offer something. Don’t know what it might be. Just know that if No. 20 is in the game, No. 20 is going to get a chance. Don’t sleep on the true freshman who’s still so fresh.

“It’s one of those things where they’re not as worried with what I’ve done,” Williams said of being the ultimate x-factor back. “That’s an advantage that I have when in there, but 20’s going to do something with the rock.”

Do it right. Do it well. Do it.

Follow South Bend Tribune and NDInsider columnist Tom Noie on X (formerly Twitter): @tnoieNDI. Contact Noie at tnoie@sbtinfo.com