Kedren Young’s Injury Hurts, But Notre Dame Has Depth Heading Into 2025

Notre Dame will not suffer without Kedren Young in 2025 as he was not expected to get many carries. Where the injury will hurt if if he is not ready for fall camp 2026.

Notre Dame running back Kedren Young runs the ball during a football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Losing fourth-string running back Kedren Young to a season-ending injury does put a damper on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, but it is not the end of the world.

Young, a redshirt freshman, was not going to be the bell cow for head coach Marcus Freeman and running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider. Young was going to be the fourth option in an otherwise solid, three-man rotation. After starting junior Jeremiyah Love, redshirt junior Jadarian Price, and sophomore Aneyas Williams will get the bulk of the remainder of the carries.

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love during a Notre Dame football spring practice at Irish Athletic Center on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Young would probably play in mop-up situations and not garner many carries behind the top three backs. Seider wanted Young to prepare like a starter, but he knew his reps would be minimal this season. Now, they will be nil.

“We’re trying to get him to understand that your time is now,” Seider said before Young went down. “I want him to always approach the game like he’s going to be a starter, because I think that kid has a bright future and it’s sooner rather than later.”

Seider said Young was coming off a solid spring camp, and he anticipated it would roll over into fall camp. If this were any other year, he might compete to see the field more often. He might be able to work his way up the depth chart. Even if healthy, it was not going to happen this season.

The place where Young's absence hurts the Irish is if one of the big three gets hurt. What happens if two get hurt? Young would see the field quicker than maybe Seider wanted him to, but in the event of injuries, it is a next man up mentality. The next man is no longer available.

Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price, center, runs the ball during the Notre Dame Blue-Gold spring football game at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, April 12, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This is far from a career-ending injury for Young, and he should be fully healed by next fall, based on the amount of time ACL injuries generally take to heal. He will compete for a higher spot on the depth chart, especially if Love and Price go to the National Football League.

The Irish have to hope he heals the way most ACL tears do. If so, he will be back just as strong next season. If he is not healed by next fall, then the Fighting Irish will have a problem.

(But it's Notre Dame - the next great running back is on the way.)

For more Irish news & notes, follow Scott Salomon on Twitter @ScottSalomonNFL.