SOUTH BEND, Ind. – True freshman running back Jonaz Walton has been selected as a Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Semifinalist.
So far this season, Walton leads the team with 6.9 yards per carry and is second on the team with 477 rushing guards and tied for second with four touchdowns on the ground. He’s also caught five passes out of the backfield for 70 yards.
Walton, who is one of 14 freshmen on the list, was named the Shaun Alexander Award Freshman of the Week back on October 13th following his record-breaking performance against Stanford, which included a Notre Dame true-freshman record 181 yards on just 13 carries (13.9 yards per carry). On the first play of the second quarter against the Cardinal, Walton broke through the line of scrimmage and raced 97 yards for a touchdown, the third-longest play in Notre Dame Stadium history and the second-longest rush by an Irish true freshman in program history. He became just the fifth Irish true freshman since 1972 to record consecutive 100-yard rushing games and the first since Josh Adams in 2015.
The Irish are back at Notre Dame Stadium Saturday night for a 7:30 p.m. ET matchup against No. 1 Miami on NBC.