“You can’t have one position in football" - RB Jafar Armstrong

Position changes in college football are often met with an eye roll by the player making the switch. 

Jafar Armstrong made the switch from receiver to running back in the spring, and it was met with pure excitement from the 6-foot-1, 218-pounder. 

“It ’s been great,” stated Armstrong. “In college football, a lot of things happen, and guys have to make position changes. I was glad to make the change. I worked hard in the spring to make sure I could develop.

“When fall came, I knew what to do and where to be. It’s been good so far.” 

The spring was crucial for Armstrong to build a comfort level with the position but also to gain experience seeing things from a different point of view.

“You can’t have one position in football,” explained Armstrong. “You have to be able to play everywhere. I knew in the spring it would be big to develop and get a lot of carries, so in the fall I would be able to come in and just go.” 

Armstrong might be turning heads on the field, but his ability to sustain high workloads has caught the eye of head coach Brian Kelly, which the Kansas native gave credit to Director of Football Performance Matt Balis. 

“Coach Balis does a great job of physically conditioning us and having us right for the season,” said Armstrong.  “I’m going to try and go 100 mph every time. That’s how you catch the coaches eye, so I try to go full speed every play.” 

While Armstrong has impressed to this point, the sophomore running back knows he has areas of his game he has to fine tune as the season progresses and it starts with pass protection. 

“I think I’m getting pretty good,” Armstrong said. “I’m going to have things that will come at me in the game and will notice things I have to get better at. My pass pro has gotten better. Coach Denson has done a great job of walking me through it and checking protections. 

“Running through the tackles will be tough the first game, but I think I’ve been good. Our defense is pretty sound. I feel pretty good.” 

One of the adjustments Armstrong is close to mastering is running with a lower pad level. 

“Coming from receiver, we like to run high,” Armstrong explained. “In the beginning, pad level was somewhat of an issue. I’ve got better with it. Coach Denson sometimes has to remind me, but I’ve been good with it.” 

The move from receiver to running back has naturally brought comparisons to former Notre Dame running backs CJ Prosise and Theo Riddick. Kelly only furthered the comparisons as he believes Armstrong can do it all. 

“Jafar is the closest thing I’ve had to Theo Riddick,” stated Kelly. “Tenacious, can go all day and runs physical inside. He has the skills to catch the ball coming out of the backfield. I’m not ready to put him in that category, but I’m comparing him to the type of player he is.” 

Armstrong is looking forward to getting a chance to show the nation what Kelly has praised him for on Saturday against Michigan. 

“I would say I’m a mix of speed and power,” said Armstrong. “I’d like to say I’m fast, but I like to run hard. I like to finish.

“My dad told me when I get my shot to never take a play off. He was tough on me growing up to make sure I could do it on my own. I attribute a lot to my father. I always like to go fast in everything I do.”