Short-yardage / goal-line · enumeration
Who gets the tough yard
5/24Inside-5 share
5 of the team's 24 inside-the-5 carries (20.8%).
Nolan James Jr.
Rushing yards51962nd of 278 running backsHeismanNo. 23in our modelLast gameW 35–13at Navy · Oct 31
Nextvs MiamiSat Nov 7 · 7:30 pm ET
- touchdown
Navy · W 35-13
9 carries, 107 yards, 2 TD
The other 7 games average 59 yards. This one was 48 above.
Dashed line: 100 yards.
Compare with
James against Notre Dame’s best seasons, game by game
Backs who run like James, and how their seasons went
James against this year’s top backs, game by game
The road ahead: 519 yards, 65 a game, 4 regular-season games left.
- 1,000 yards: 481 to go, 120 a game, more than the 65 a game so far.
Already their own best season; their previous best was 37, in 2025.
This week
- RecordNotre Dame is 7-1, No. 4 in the AP poll (week 10).
- What fans say
Over the last few games, Notre Dame fans have been high on James's running.
“Man, Walton’s gotten all the pub of late, but Nolan James Jr. has been running like a madman”
“Nolan James is the answer for run game. But this QB is stunning right now.”
“I am once again asking for Nolan James to be RB1”
From r/CFB game threads. Read by AI.
- Next gamevs Miami · Sat Nov 7 Top rushers have averaged 38 yards against Miami. James averages 65.
What’s being said
7 stories in the last 30 days, from 7 outlets.
Nolan James Jr. hopes his tackle-breaking ability helps No. 5 Notre Dame's ground game get on track
Bozeman Daily Chronicle +3 Oct 28
Worth knowing
- Nolan James Jr. has passed 500 rushing yards through 8 games.
His most important play this season
32% of the carries, 35% of the yards, 40% of the touchdowns
- Carries32%90 of 282
- Yards35%519 of 1,501
- Touchdowns40%8 of 20
- A touchdown every 11.2 carries. Everyone else on the team: one every 16.0.
Share of the team's rushing yards, game by game
Who carried it
- Nolan James Jr.519 yards, 90 carries, 8 touchdowns
- Jonaz Walton477 yards, 69 carries, 4 touchdowns
- Aneyas Williams331 yards, 72 carries, 4 touchdowns
- CJ Carr86 yards, 25 carries, 3 touchdowns
- Kedren Young42 yards, 13 carries
- 2 others46 yards
Share of the team's total this season.
Most of his carries go up the middle
10203040502852
leftmiddlerightno spot
a carry, up for a gain and down for a lossa touchdown
Each line is one carry: taller means more yards, and a line pointing down lost yards. Black lines are touchdowns. The play text only says left, middle or right, so inside each lane the carries are lined up shortest to longest, not placed. Of his carries with a spot in the play text: left 18, middle 54, right 8. His longest went for 52 yards.
Nolan James Jr.
Filling the Shoesas of Nov 4
Nolan James Jr. takes over from Jeremiyah Love at Notre Dame.
519rushing yards8rushing TD90carries
Rushing value per play
+0.36
our model · 2026 · 97 plays
Read the story so far
AI-generated narrative · may contain errors · not journalism · updated 2026-11-04
Style of play
Style of play
Play style
Does a little of everything without one standout trait.
Similar players
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
In the news in the last 30 days
from 7 outlets
Nolan James Jr. hopes his tackle-breaking ability helps No. 5 Notre Dame's ground game get on track
Bozeman Daily Chronicle +3 Oct 28 · 4 outlets
All 4 articles
FOX SportsNolan James Jr. hopes his tackle-breaking ability helps No. 5 Notre Dame's ground game get on trackNewsdayNolan James Jr. hopes his tackle-breaking ability helps No. 5 Notre Dame's ground game get on trackBozeman Daily ChronicleNolan James Jr. hopes his tackle-breaking ability helps No. 5 Notre Dame's ground game get on trackYahoo SportsNolan James Jr. hopes his tackle-breaking ability helps No. 5 Notre Dame's ground game get on track
What they’re talking about
Performance and stat line2 stories
- Fighting Irish Wire +1Watch Nolan James second touchdown for Notre Dame vs StanfordOct 10
All 2 articles
Fighting Irish WireWatch Nolan James second touchdown for Notre Dame vs StanfordYahoo SportsWatch Nolan James second touchdown for Notre Dame vs Stanford 
Yahoo SportsWatch Notre Dame's Nolan James Jr. have second touchdown at NavyOct 31
In the news this season
from 11 outlets
Nolan James Jr. hopes his tackle-breaking ability helps No. 5 Notre Dame's ground game get on track
Bozeman Daily Chronicle +3 Oct 28 · 4 outlets
All 4 articles
FOX SportsNolan James Jr. hopes his tackle-breaking ability helps No. 5 Notre Dame's ground game get on trackNewsdayNolan James Jr. hopes his tackle-breaking ability helps No. 5 Notre Dame's ground game get on trackBozeman Daily ChronicleNolan James Jr. hopes his tackle-breaking ability helps No. 5 Notre Dame's ground game get on trackYahoo SportsNolan James Jr. hopes his tackle-breaking ability helps No. 5 Notre Dame's ground game get on track
What they’re talking about
Performance and stat line6 stories
- Fighting Irish Wire +1Watch Nolan James second touchdown for Notre Dame vs StanfordOct 10
All 2 articles
Fighting Irish WireWatch Nolan James second touchdown for Notre Dame vs StanfordYahoo SportsWatch Nolan James second touchdown for Notre Dame vs Stanford - Fighting Irish WireWatch Notre Dame's Nolan James get his first career rushing touchdownSep 12
- Yahoo SportsWatch Notre Dame's Nolan James score another TD versus RiceSep 12
- Yahoo SportsWatch Notre Dame's Nolan James score a TD against Michigan StateSep 19
- Fighting Irish WireWatch Notre Dame get a passing touchdown to Nolan James Jr at PurdueSep 26
Profile and feature2 stories
Starting job and depth chart2 stories
- Goshen NewsNolan James Jr. continues to expand his role in the backfieldSep 23
- South Bend TribuneHas Nolan James Jr. become RB1 for Notre Dame football? | Pod of Gold 9/23 clipSep 23
Week by week
- Oct 29 to Nov 4W 35-13 vs Navy2 storiesNolan James Jr. goes 52 yards to the 🏠 #GoIrish #shorts
Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Oct 22 to Oct 28No game2 storiesNolan James Jr. hopes his tackle-breaking ability helps No. 5 Notre Dame's ground game get on track Bozeman Daily Chronicle +3
- Oct 15 to Oct 21L 24-28 at BYUNo stories
- Oct 8 to Oct 14W 58-7 vs Stanford2 storiesWatch Nolan James second touchdown for Notre Dame vs Stanford Fighting Irish Wire +1
- Oct 1 to Oct 7W 37-26 at North Carolina1 story
- Sep 24 to Sep 30W 49-10 at Purdue3 storiesWatch Notre Dame get a passing touchdown to Nolan James Jr at Purdue Fighting Irish Wire
- Sep 17 to Sep 23W 27-10 vs Michigan State5 storiesHas Nolan James Jr. become RB1 for Notre Dame football? | Pod of Gold 9/23 clip South Bend Tribune
- Sep 10 to Sep 16W 52-0 vs Rice4 storiesWatch Notre Dame's Nolan James get his first career rushing touchdown Fighting Irish Wire
- Sep 3 to Sep 9W 41-13 vs WisconsinNo stories
- Aug 6 to Aug 12No game1 storyNolan James Jr. Is Ready to Make His Move at Notre Dame
Irish Sports Daily
Each week: his team’s game, the stories about him that week, and the week’s biggest news headline.
In the news across his career
Stories are headlines grouped by what they are about, counted through Nov 4.
What fans said
Fans first named Nolan James Jr. vs Wisconsin.
- How much fans talked in a game against the usual
- The usual, named once in the key
- A fan first, numbered by kind (1 first named)
at Navy, Oct 31Nolan James just Thanos snapped all the neutral flairs out of hereNotre Dame fan, r/CFB game thread
at BYU, Oct 17Nolan James is a grown man!!!Notre Dame fan, r/CFB game thread
vs Stanford, Oct 10Nothing like showing Williams after the Nolan James TD run lol. Dude just watching his touches run away from himNotre Dame fan, r/CFB game thread
Where to follow
Career stats
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Notre Dame | 90 | 519 | 5.8 | 8 | 52 |
| 2025 | Notre Dame | 14 | 37 | 2.6 | 0 | 15 |
| Career | 104 | 556 | 5.3 | 8 | 52 |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Notre Dame | 13 | 105 | 8.1 | 3 | 28 |
| 2025 | Notre Dame | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 13 | 105 | 8.1 | 3 | 28 |
Last game (Wk 9): 107 rushing yards, 2 rushing TD.
Game log
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 8 games
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 41-13vs Wisconsin | 7 | 19 | 2.7 | 0 | 7 | |
| Wk 2 | W 52-0vs Rice | 6 | 29 | 4.8 | 2 | 15 | |
| Wk 3 | W 27-10vs Michigan State | 26 | 121 | 4.7 | 1 | 17 | Season-high 121 yds |
| Wk 4 | W 49-10@ Purdue | 7 | 28 | 4.0 | 0 | 7 | |
| Wk 5 | W 37-26@ North Carolina | 9 | 65 | 7.2 | 0 | 11 | |
| Wk 6 | W 58-7vs Stanford | 10 | 73 | 7.3 | 2 | 31 | |
| Wk 7 | L 24-28@ No. 8 BYU | 16 | 77 | 4.8 | 1 | 26 | |
| Wk 9 | W 35-13vs Navy | 9 | 107 | 11.9 | 2 | 52 | |
| Total | 90 | 519 | 5.8 | 8 | 52 |
The latest game
Oct. 31 · W 35-13 vs Navy, play by play
9 carries for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns. He converted a 4th and 1 with Notre Dame down 3-0.
- 3 went 10+ yards
- 0 stopped at or behind the line
- 6 moved the chains
- First quarterbegan tied 0-0
- 4 for 1512
- Second quarterbegan up 7-3
- 1 for 52, 1 TD3
- Third quarterbegan up 14-13
- 4 for 40, 1 TD4
- FinalW 35-13
a carry, by its yardsa loss, below the linea catcha touchdown
- 1
6-yard run on 3rd and 7. First quarter, down 3-0.
- 2
5-yard run on 4th and 1. First quarter, down 3-0. Converted.
- 3
52-yard touchdown run. Second quarter, made it 14-13.
- 4
1-yard run on 3rd and 1. Third quarter, up 21-13. Converted.
The season, game by game
L 24-28 at BYUOct. 1777 yds16 carries, 1 TD
16 carries for 77 yards and a touchdown. He also caught 3 passes for 18 yards.
- 2 went 10+ yards
- 3 stopped at or behind the line
- 6 moved the chains
- 3 catches for 18 yds
- First quarterbegan tied 0-0
- 5 for 411
- Second quarterbegan down 7-3
- 5 for 27, 1 TD2
- Third quarterbegan down 21-10
- 5 for 13, 2 rec3
- Fourth quarterbegan down 21-16
- 1 for -4, 1 rec4
- FinalL 24-28
a carry, by its yardsa loss, below the linea catcha touchdown
- 1
26-yard run on 3rd and 3. First quarter, down 7-3. Converted.
- 2
8-yard touchdown run on 3rd and 6. Second quarter, made it 10-7. Fans named him again and again right after: the most-talked-about moment of his game.
“Nolan James”Notre Dame fan, r/CFB game thread
- 3
6-yard catch on 4th and 4. Third quarter, down 21-10. Converted.
- 4
7-yard catch on 3rd and 14. Fourth quarter, up 24-21.
102030405026
leftmiddleright
a carry, up for a gain and down for a lossa touchdown
Each carry is a stem from the line, in the lane the play text names, sorted shortest to longest. The play text only says left, middle or right, so inside a lane marks are sorted, not placed.
6 more games, with the play by play
W 58-7 vs StanfordOct. 1073 yds10 carries, 2 TDBox score only
10 carries for 73 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Not drawn: the play-by-play and the box score disagree.
W 37-26 at North CarolinaOct. 365 yds9 carries
9 carries for 65 yards.
- 1 went 10+ yards
- 0 stopped at or behind the line
- 3 moved the chains
- 1 catch for 6 yds
- First quarterbegan tied 0-0
- 3 for 161
- Third quarterbegan up 21-14
- 6 for 492
- Fourth quarterbegan up 27-20
- 0 for 0, 1 rec, 1 TD
- FinalW 37-26
a carry, by its yardsa loss, below the linea catcha touchdown
- 1
Incomplete on 3rd and 6. First quarter, tied 0-0. Broken up by North Carolina’s P. Seelmann.
- 2
11-yard run. Third quarter, up 27-20.
1020304050
leftmiddlerightno spot
a carry, up for a gain and down for a lossa touchdown
Each carry is a stem from the line, in the lane the play text names, sorted shortest to longest. The play text only says left, middle or right, so inside a lane marks are sorted, not placed.
W 49-10 at PurdueSept. 2628 yds7 carries
7 carries for 28 yards.
- 0 went 10+ yards
- 0 stopped at or behind the line
- 0 moved the chains
- 2 catches for 8 yds
- First quarterbegan tied 0-0
- 3 for 131
- Second quarterbegan up 7-0
- 1 for 6, 2 rec, 1 TD
- Third quarterbegan up 35-0
- 3 for 9
- FinalW 49-10
a carry, by its yardsa loss, below the linea catcha touchdown
- 1
7-yard run. First quarter, tied 0-0.
1020304050
leftmiddleright
a carry, up for a gain and down for a lossa touchdown
Each carry is a stem from the line, in the lane the play text names, sorted shortest to longest. The play text only says left, middle or right, so inside a lane marks are sorted, not placed.
W 27-10 vs Michigan StateSept. 19121 yds26 carries, 1 TD
26 carries for 121 yards and a touchdown, his most this season.
- 2 went 10+ yards
- 5 stopped at or behind the line
- 9 moved the chains
- 2 catches for 7 yds
- First quarterbegan tied 0-0
- 8 for 23, 1 rec, 1 TD1
- Second quarterbegan up 10-0
- 1 for 0
- Third quarterbegan up 17-10
- 9 for 46, 1 rec234
- Fourth quarterbegan up 20-10
- 8 for 52
- FinalW 27-10
a carry, by its yardsa loss, below the linea catcha touchdown
- 1
No gain on 3rd and 3. First quarter, up 3-0.
- 2
5-yard run on 3rd and 4. Third quarter, up 17-10. Converted.
- 3
3-yard run on 3rd and 3. Third quarter, up 17-10. Converted.
- 4
17-yard run. Third quarter, up 17-10.
1020304050
leftmiddleright
a carry, up for a gain and down for a lossa touchdown
Each carry is a stem from the line, in the lane the play text names, sorted shortest to longest. The play text only says left, middle or right, so inside a lane marks are sorted, not placed.
W 52-0 vs RiceSept. 1229 yds6 carries, 2 TD
6 carries for 29 yards and 2 touchdowns.
- 1 went 10+ yards
- 0 stopped at or behind the line
- 4 moved the chains
- 1 catch for -1 yds
- First quarterbegan tied 0-0
- 2 for 7
- Second quarterbegan up 21-0
- 4 for 22, 1 rec, 2 TD1
- FinalW 52-0
a carry, by its yardsa loss, below the linea catcha touchdown
- 1
15-yard run. Second quarter, up 21-0.
1020304050
leftmiddleright
a carry, up for a gain and down for a lossa touchdown
Each carry is a stem from the line, in the lane the play text names, sorted shortest to longest. The play text only says left, middle or right, so inside a lane marks are sorted, not placed.
W 41-13 vs WisconsinSept. 619 yds7 carries
7 carries for 19 yards. He also caught 4 passes for 67 yards.
- of the 6 carries drawn:
- 0 went 10+ yards
- 0 stopped at or behind the line
- 2 moved the chains
- 4 catches for 67 yds
- First quarterbegan tied 0-0
- 1 for 3
- Second quarterbegan up 10-3
- 2 for 4, 1 rec1
- Third quarterbegan up 13-10
- 1 for 7, 1 rec
- Fourth quarterbegan up 27-13
- 2 for 3, 2 rec, 1 TD2
- FinalW 41-13
a carry, by its yardsa loss, below the linea catcha touchdown
The per-play feed is missing a 2-yard run in the first quarter (the play drew a penalty), which the play text shows; the chart draws the 6 carries it has.
- 1
7-yard catch on 3rd and 16. Second quarter, up 13-10.
- 2
28-yard touchdown on 3rd and 4. Fourth quarter, made it 41-13.
10203040502828
leftmiddleright
a carry, up for a gain and down for a lossa touchdown
Each carry is a stem from the line, in the lane the play text names, sorted shortest to longest. The play text only says left, middle or right, so inside a lane marks are sorted, not placed.
Signature game
Week 9 · 2026
W 35-13
vs Navy · neutral site
107 rush yds (9 car) · 2 TD
Dominant 22-point win at a neutral site against Navy.
With C. Carr — 210 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 73.8 · A. Williams — 29 rush yds (2 car)
Signature plays
The plays that mattered most
- Week 9 · Navy · 1st and 10 · Q2 · EPA +4.01N.James Jr. rush middle for 52 yards gain to the Navy00 TOUCHDOWN
- Week 1 · Wisconsin · 3rd and 4 · Q4 · EPA +3.38Carr to James Jr.: a 28-yard touchdown pass.
- Week 6 · Stanford · 3rd and 2 · Q2 · EPA +3.32N.James Jr. rush middle for 31 yards gain for a touchdown
- Week 7 · BYU · 3rd and 3 · Q1 · EPA +2.91N.James Jr. rush middle for 26 yards gain (I.Glasker)
- Week 7 · BYU · 3rd and 6 · Q2 · EPA +2.86N.James Jr. rush middle for 8 yards gain for a touchdown
- Week 9 · Navy · 1st and 10 · Q3 · EPA +2.66N.James Jr. rush left for 23 yards gain to the Navy00 TOUCHDOWN
4 more plays
- Week 6 · Stanford · 2nd and 2 · Q1 · EPA +2.07N.James Jr. rush right for 2 yards gain for a touchdown
- Week 5 · North Carolina · 1st and 6 · Q4 · EPA +2.05Carr to James Jr.: a 6-yard touchdown pass.
- Week 2 · Rice · 2nd and 10 · Q2 · EPA +1.96N.James Jr. rush middle for 15 yards gain to the Rice01 (K.Condoll)
- Week 2 · Rice · 2nd and 1 · Q2 · EPA +1.90N.James Jr. rush middle for 1 yard gain to the Rice00 TOUCHDOWN
Where he ranks
Rush yards51962ndAmong 278 backs with 40 or more carries
Yards / carry5.8tied for 63rdAmong 278 backs with 40 or more carries
Rush TDs8tied for 19thAmong 278 backs with 40 or more carries
Long run52tied for 96thAmong 278 backs with 40 or more carries
Carries90tied for 82ndAmong 278 backs with 40 or more carries
Rec yards105tied for 57thAmong 273 backs with 40 or more carries
Receptions13tied for 56thAmong 273 backs with 40 or more carries
71st in rushing yards, among all 1,551 FBS players with a rushing row this season, any position
Rushing yards5192nd in the FBS Independents this season.
Rushing touchdowns81st in the FBS Independents this season.
Conference ranks count every player in the conference with a row in that stat, any position. Career ranks count current FBS players, from the games in our log.
Opponents faced, by strength
Ratings of the games shown run from -14 to +17 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Rushing profile
Rush profile · Shape, efficiency, and ball security
How he gets his yards, and how often it works
90 of 90 carries matched to play-by-play
Success rate
60%90 carriesStuffed
0 or fewer yds9%of carries
8 carries
Grind
1–3 yds31%of carries
28 carries
Chunk
4–9 yds49%of carries
44 carries
Explosive
10+ yds11%of carries
10 carries
6 of 6 (100%) converted on 3rd/4th & short (≤2 to go) · 4 of 5 (80%) scored from inside the 5-yard line
5.8 yds/carry on 90 carries · 11% explosive (10+ yds) · 60% success rate.
Receiving profile
Receiver profile · Targets, catch rate, and throw depth
How often he's targeted, and how well it works
13 of 13 receptions matched to play-by-play
15 of 16 targets charted for true throw depth
Targets
167% of team targetsCatch rate
81%13 of 16 targetsBehind LOS · Negative air yds
27% of targets (4)
100%catch rate
Air -3.5 · YAC 6.8 avg
Short · 0–9 air yds
67% of targets (10)
80%catch rate
Air 2.5 · YAC 8.4 avg
Middle · 10–19 air yds
7% of targets (1)
0%catch rate
Air 10.0 avg
81% catch rate on 16 targets · 7% of the team's targets.
Teams and coaches
2 seasons under Marcus Freeman — 17-3 over that span.
2025Notre Dame10-2HC: Marcus Freeman · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2026Notre Dame7-1HC: Marcus Freeman · Run-leaning
Our ratings
Splits
Home and road splits, scheme and staff
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 8 games
Home vs Road
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 74.3 | 5.6 | 1.7 |
| Road3g | 56.7 | 5.3 | 0.3 |
First half vs Second half
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 58.9 | 5.1 | 0.9 |
| Weeks 8+1g | 107 | 11.9 | 2.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Marcus Freeman
Pass share
46.7%
247 pass / 282 run
Plays / game
66.1
8 games
Team sack rate
0.8%
259 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
In the Heisman race (#23 in our model)
Our Heisman model ranks this player #23 right now. Heisman finalists are named in December.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score
74 · #27 of 330 RBs
Former four-star. Now #27 at the position.
Heisman trajectory
Our Heisman model · 2026 · week 10
#23
Weeks outside our model's top 25 sit on the baseline.
Peaked at #20 in week 9; #23 as of week 10.
Two seasons at Notre Dame
2026 is in progress.
- 2026 Notre Dame FreemanYear 2 · 8 games
- 2025 Notre Dame FreemanYear 1 · 4 games
- High school DePaul CatholicWayne, NJ · Class of 2025Four-star, No. 303 in the 2025 class. Signed with Notre Dame.Also from DePaul Catholic: De'Zie Jones (Ohio State), Deshawn Stewart (Ohio State), Elijah Burress (Notre Dame) and 8 more.
The week the volume broke through — put up 121 yds vs Michigan State.Michigan State · W 27-102026
2025 4 games
- Signed with Notre DameFour-star, out of DePaul Catholic