Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/783750
12 MARCH 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME Senior running back Tarean Folston has opted to enter the NFL Draft rather than return for a fifth season of eligibility at Notre Dame in 2017. Meanwhile, current junior running back Justin Brent plans to transfer following the spring semester and use his final two years of college eli- gibility elsewhere. The 5-9, 215-pound Folston was the lead ball carrier for the Fighting Irish from the second half of his freshman season in 2013 through his 2014 soph- omore campaign. However, an ACL tear early in the 2015 opener versus Texas sidelined him the duration of that campaign, and his playing time as a 2016 senior waned while he fin- ished third in rushing with 334 yards and 4.3 yards per carry. After opening the season with a 54-yard run on his first carry in the loss at Texas, Folston carried only 59 times in the final 11 games for 246 yards. For the year, Folston took 209 snaps compared to sophomore Josh Adams' 495 (Adams led the Irish in rushing with 933 yards). Another sophomore, Dexter Williams, had 126 snaps and was trending upwards, along with redshirted freshmen Tony Jones Jr. and Deon McIntosh. Those four return, while C.J. Holmes is an early enrollee who will participate in spring drills. Numerous Notre Dame running backs under eighth-year head coach Brian Kelly have made NFL rosters in recent years without getting drafted: Armando Allen, Robert Hughes, Jo- nas Gray, Cierre Wood and George Atkinson III. Those who were drafted — Theo Riddick (sixth round) and C.J. Prosise (third round) — were shifted from other positions in their senior years. A native of Cocoa, Fla., Folston amassed the sixth-highest rushing yardage total by an Irish freshman (470 yards on 88 carries in 2013). As a sophomore in 2014, his 889 yards were 600 more than anyone else on the team, and he averaged 5.1 yards per carry while adding six touchdowns. He also snagged 18 passes for 190 yards and another score. His junior year took a negative turn when on his third carry of the season he tore his ACL, opening the door for the senior Prosise, Adams and Williams to lead a rushing attack that averaged 207.6 yards per game, the most at Notre Dame in 17 years when including bowls. Folston finished his career with 1,712 rushing yards on 343 carries (4.99 yards per attempt) and 11 touchdowns, and added 31 catches for 291 yards and a score. As for Brent, he is following the path of fellow Irish 2014 receiver re- cruit Corey Holmes. Both decided that after they graduate from Notre Dame later this year (Brent was an early enrollee at Notre Dame in January 2014), they will use their fi- nal two years of eligibility at other schools still to be determined. Holmes made his intentions known in December after falling behind sev- eral underclassmen on the receiving chart and finishing eighth in receiv- ing yardage (96 on 11 catches). Brent arrived in 2014 as Notre Dame's third-highest ranked player on the Rivals board at No. 84, be- hind guard Quenton Nelson (No. 29), a third-team Associated Press All- American in 2016, and linebacker Nyles Morgan, who led the Irish in tackles (94) and sacks (four) this past season. All of Brent's game action occurred during his freshman season in 2014 when he played primarily on special teams (nine games), but did not catch a pass. In 2015, he redshirted while making the switch to running back, and in 2016 he was sidelined with a Lisfranc injury. The 2017 Irish Backfield Will Be Minus Tarean Folston And Justin Brent Folston, who rushed for 1,712 yards and 11 touchdowns during his four years in South Bend, opted to enter the 2017 NFL Draft. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA