Notre Dame freshman Jonaz Walton had played in three games before last weekend’s trip to Chapel Hill, but the Georgia native made a lasting impression against the Tar Heels.
Walton carried 23 times for 120 yards and caught two passes for 28 yards in Saturday afternoon’s 37-26 win over North Carolina.
It signaled Walton’s arrival and, more importantly, made a statement that he should be on the field for the rest of the season.
The efficiency was impressive, but Notre Dame choosing to hand him the ball 12 times during a 17-play drive in a one-point game was the bigger message.
“It was really fun,” Walton said. “It was kind of a little bit of a welcome to college football moment, coming out of an unfortunate kick return out of halftime. And then just kind of getting put in the game in that situation, especially when it was raining. It was fun. It was really fun.”
Notre Dame’s decision to turn to Walton may have surprised him and the fan base, but offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock saw enough from the freshman at Purdue to know he was ready for a bigger role in a close game.
“We planned on doing that a little bit earlier even against Purdue and then the game just kind of got out of hand real quick,” said Denbrock. “He got some opportunities in the second half. We were a little more intentional about inserting him into the game on Saturday, which I thought really helped us and gave us a boost.”
That drive also boosted Walton’s confidence.
It was an opportunity to earn more trust from the coaching staff, but it was also a chance to prove to himself that he could play at this level. Walton passed the test with flying colors.
“It gives me a lot of confidence,” explained Walton. “It helps me see that the coaches believe in me, but it also shows me things that I can work on in my game. Playing a lot, you can maybe make a mistake here and there, but I also see things that I can fix.”
During the drive, Walton had no idea he had carried the ball 12 times.
“I was more just kind of focusing on the next play, everything I can do better on this play, just focusing on one by one,” Walton stated. “I kind of got lost in how many carries and when I kind of re-watched, I was like, ‘Dang, it was a lot.’
“It's back to back to back, but in game, I didn't realize it. I was just playing to see what I could do better.”
Walton has flashed his explosiveness and speed since arriving at Notre Dame, but he also showed an ability to make tough yards in short-yardage situations. He converted two fourth downs during his coming-out drive.
“I would say Coach (Ja’Juan) Seider helped a lot,” explained Walton. “He always harps on us about running behind our pads. Getting pad level lower.
“In high school, it was a little different. You're kind of bigger than everybody, but here, you really have to know how to play, especially in those bigger downs, just getting upfield, especially on those fourth downs. You really have to run behind your pads, find a hole, and just explode through it.”
Learning the college game is important, and Walton has embraced the fact that he still has plenty to master.
But at the end of the day, elite players have natural instincts that reveal themselves in competitive situations.
“Being a running back, you have to have really good instincts,” stated Walton. “I feel like I'm obviously still working on those, but I think I have pretty good ones right now.”
Another area Walton will learn about this week is recovery.
His 23 carries were a massive jump from the seven carries he had against Purdue and the eight runs against Rice, but Walton is accustomed to handling a heavy workload.
“I would say I adjusted pretty well, like in high school, when you're playing running back, you're used to kind of being beat up a lot and then you recover,” Walton said. “Your body recovers, you do extra stuff over the weekend, throughout the week. It wasn't new to me at all.”
Notre Dame’s running back room now has three players with more than 200 rushing yards, led by Aneyas Williams with 266 yards.
It’s a competitive situation for playing time, but it’s also a healthy one.
“It's amazing,” stated Walton. “Those guys, they're amazing. There's no animosity in the group at all in this. Everybody just wants to see each other succeed. Whenever you see Nolan have a big game, you see Aneyas have a good game in the first game and then when they see me, it is amazing. The group is amazing, we cheer on each other and everybody just wants each other to succeed.”
Walton has experienced a little bit of everything during the first five games of his collegiate career, and he wouldn’t trade it for anything.
“This season's been amazing,” said Walton. “Having the opportunity to play at Notre Dame is such a blessing. It's been a little bit unexpected, but also expected at the same time. Just going through week by week, just being ready to play, it's been fun.”
Want the latest scoop on Notre Dame Football and Recruiting? Become an ISD Premium Subscriber and never miss the inside information. Sign Up for ISD
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Under Armour 2026 Sideline Vanish Long Sleeve Hooded T-Shirt
