Jadarian Price — RB | Notre Dame | Junior

The Short Version

Jadarian Price is a twitchy, zone-scheme slasher with legitimate NFL three-down toolkit upside — he's got the feet, the vision in cutback lanes, and enough receiving ability to stay on the field in obvious passing situations. The case for him is simple: elite lateral agility for the position, 5'11"/209 lbs build with good long speed, and he plays at a program that consistently develops NFL-caliber talent. The case against is harder to dismiss: a troubling late-season inconsistency pattern, three fumbles in 2025, an Achilles injury history from 2022, and a workload profile that never quite reached workhorse territory at Notre Dame. He's a committee back ceiling with RB2 upside if he lands in the right system — don't buy him expecting a lead dog.

Measurables & Background

| Attribute | Detail |

|-----------|--------|

| Name | Jadarian Price |

| Position | Running Back |

| School | Notre Dame |

| Class | Junior (2026 Draft) |

| Height | 5'11" |

| Weight | 209 lbs |

| Jersey # | #24 (Notre Dame) |

| Injury History | Achilles (2022) |

| Draft Year | 2026 |

Career Production:

| Year | ATT | Rush Yds | YPA | Rush TD | REC | Rec Yds | Rec TD | FUM |

|------|-----|----------|-----|---------|-----|---------|--------|-----|

| 2023 | 34 | 166 | 4.9 | 5 | 5 | 65 | 1 | 0 |

| 2024 | 101 | 681 | 6.7 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 1 |

| 2025 | 113 | 674 | 6.0 | 11 | 6 | 87 | 2 | 3 |

2026 Draft Class Ranking (among top 25 RBs):

| Category | Rank |

|----------|------|

| Rush Yards | 16th |

| YPA | 8th |

| Rush TDs | 7th |

| Receiving TDs | 2nd |

| Fumbles | 3rd (bad — 3rd most) |

| Receptions | 23rd |

PFF Grades:

| Year | Run Grade | RBLK Grade | YAC/ATT | MTF% | BAY% | ELU |

|------|-----------|------------|---------|------|------|-----|

| 2023 | 78.3 | 57.7 | 3.65 | 22% | 45% | 112 |

| 2024 | 80.5 | 51.5 | 4.92 | 20% | 64% | 112 |

| 2025 | 78.9 | 58.5 | 3.92 | 27% | 45% | 112 |

Film Sources Reviewed

| Source | Frames | Key Content |

|--------|--------|-------------|

| ESPN College Football — "The Playbook" (Jeremiyah Love & Jadarian Price vs. Arkansas) | 18 (film_001–film_018) | Analyst breakdown of Notre Dame's two-back attack vs. Arkansas. Price (#0) shown in open-field TD runs, ND up 21-10, 35-13, 42-13. Shows burst and acceleration in space, cutback ability. |

| Sideline Sports Network — Jadarian Price Film Breakdown (6:31) | 19 (film_2_001–film_2_019) | Detailed game footage vs. USC (night game) and lighter opponents. Showcases pre-snap alignment, contact balance, and route running. Price wearing #24. |

| NFL Draft Big Boards — Jadarian Price 2026 Rookie Scouting Report (12:20) | 18 (highlights_001–highlights_018) | Full scouting report card with PFF data, trait grades, dynasty outlook, pro comps, and individual game breakdowns vs. Texas A&M 2025 (12 car/68 yds/2 TD) and NC State 2025 (15 car/66 yds/0 TD). |

What The Film Shows

1. Vision & Patience — **B+ Grade**

Price shows above-average vision for a player his age and experience level. The ESPN Playbook segment (film_004, film_005) highlights him hitting cutback lanes against Arkansas with patience that suggests real feel for zone blocking principles. He doesn't freelance — he reads the second level, identifies the crease, and accelerates through it. The problem is inconsistency: the Sideline Sports breakdown (film_2_007, film_2_009) shows him occasionally hesitating at the line, allowing backside pursuit to catch him before he can redirect. The NFL Draft Big Boards card (highlights_004) grades this B/B+, which feels right. The upside is real but the indecisiveness noted in the weaknesses column is legitimate — he occasionally pauses too long in traffic.

2. Explosiveness & Speed — **B+ Grade**

Film_012 and film_013 (ESPN Playbook, late in the Arkansas game with Notre Dame up 35-13) show Price in open space pulling away from Arkansas defenders — the long speed is genuine. He's not a 4.3 burner, but he runs away from Big 12/SEC angles once he hits the second level. The Sideline Sports footage (film_2_013, film_2_014) shows him accelerating through the hole vs. Georgia Southern-level competition, which is less impressive, but the Arkansas tape vs. SEC speed is more meaningful. His burst off the snap is a legitimate weapon — the NFL Draft Big Boards grades this B+/B+ (highlights_005), and the film confirms that grade. He's a long strider who looks best with green grass in front of him. He won't run through arm tackles at the first level but he doesn't need to.

3. Contact Balance & Power — **B Grade**

At 5'11"/209, Price has the frame to absorb hits, but he's not a pile-mover. The film_2_006 sequence vs. USC shows him going down at contact when he can't avoid the first tackler cleanly — he doesn't have the lower-body power to consistently break arm tackles at the point of contact. That said, the Arkansas tape (film_007, film_008) shows him keeping his feet on a pair of cut runs where the initial contact didn't bring him down — good pad level on those plays. The PFF contact balance grade (B+) from highlights_004 may be slightly generous based on the USC tape. His MTF% (make the first tackler miss) improved in 2024 (20%) before jumping to 27% in 2025 — which means he's either getting more creative or getting hit earlier in the hole, and from the film, it's a bit of both.

4. Receiving Ability — **B Grade**

The receiving profile is better than the raw numbers suggest. Six catches for 87 yards and 2 receiving TDs in 2025 won't set fantasy worlds ablaze, but the NFL Draft Big Boards (highlights_005) notes "Hands" as a strength, and the Sideline Sports footage (film_2_005) shows him aligned in the slot and in the backfield with comfort as a route runner. He can work screens and flat routes, and the receiving TD production (2nd among top 25 RBs in the class per highlights_004) is a positive signal. At Notre Dame, the passing game doesn't funnel heavily through the RBs — the fact that Price carved out any receiving role shows he's trusted. His upside as a pass catcher at the next level is legitimate if he lands with a coaching staff that uses RBs in the screen/dump-off game.

5. Pass Protection — **C+ / B Grade**

This is where the tape diverges from the narrative. The NFL Draft Big Boards grades pass pro B/C+ (highlights_004), and it leans toward the C+ side when you watch him carefully in the Sideline Sports footage vs. USC (film_2_008, film_2_009). He's not a natural pass protector — his technique needs work, and at 209 lbs he doesn't have the anchor to handle edge rushers. The blocking grade from PFF is notably poor: 57.7 (2023), 51.5 (2024), 58.5 (2025) — all below average. He can chip and redirect, but NFL teams will be cautious about his ability to protect in obvious passing situations. This limits his three-down ceiling and is the most significant developmental area.

6. Scheme Fit — **Zone/Gap Hybrid, Prefers Outside Zone**

The pre-snap footage in film_2_010 and film_2_011 shows Price aligned in a traditional I-back and singleback look, with comfort in both shotgun and under-center formations. His best plays come on outside zone and designed cutback concepts — the Arkansas tape is essentially a highlight reel of him exploiting zone blocking with his lateral quickness. The NFL Draft Big Boards lists Chiefs and Texans as best landing spots (highlights_004), both of which run heavy zone principles. He can play in a gap scheme but he's at his best when he can read blocks and redirect rather than commit immediately to a hole. He is NOT an interior power runner — he's a dance-and-go player who needs pulling guards or clear cutback lanes.

Strengths Summary

Concerns & Risks

NFL Comp

Primary Comp: Blake Corum (Los Angeles Rams)

The NFL Draft Big Boards lists Corum first on their comp list (highlights_005), and it's apt. Both are compact, twitchy backs with A-grade lateral agility, strong vision in zone concepts, and question marks around receiving volume and pass protection. Corum's size (5'8"/215) is slightly different but the profile is similar — zone-scheme slasher who can contribute in a committee without carrying the load as an every-down back. That's also the ceiling: Corum has carved out a solid role in LA, but he's not an RB1.

Secondary Comp: Jaylen Warren (Pittsburgh Steelers)

Warren is the comp for the grittier version of Price's profile — a player who wasn't heralded coming out, made the most of limited opportunity, and carved out a committee role in a run-heavy offense. Price's receiving ability is actually better than Warren's coming out, which is a plus. The shared trait is the physical balance and zone vision paired with legitimate concerns about whether he can handle 250+ touches in a season.

Bottom Line

Jadarian Price is exactly the kind of player who teases dynasty managers: real athletic traits, a great program pedigree, and enough statistical production to justify a late-first/early-second rookie pick. But the fumble issues in 2025, the pass protection limitations, the Achilles history, and the never-featured workload at Notre Dame all add up to a player whose most likely NFL role is committee back — valuable, but not the RB1 dynasty managers need to justify premium capital. Buy him as an RB2/flex in dynasty with legitimate upside if he lands in Kansas City or Houston's zone-heavy system. Don't sell the house to move up for him in your rookie draft.

SCOUT SCORE

Score: 68/100

Projected Pick: R3, Pick 70-100

Film Score: 68 / 100

Jadarian Price Scouting Report - Scout 2

The Short Version

Price pops on highlights with burst and wiggle, but he's no workhorse—undersized slasher who'll get swallowed in stacked boxes. Contrarian: Day 3 guy, not the RB1 hype train suggests.

Measurables & Background

| Trait | Detail |

|-------------|---------------------|

| Height | 5'11" |

| Weight | 209 lbs |

| Age | 21 |

| School | Notre Dame |

| Class | Junior |

| Background | Breakout 2023 season post-2022 injury; limited prior carries (~164 ATT, 6.4 YPC); shares backfield with Love; Arkansas TD fest highlights duo. Injury history, inconsistent late-season usage flags durability. |

Film Sources

| Source | Duration | Frames | Prefix |

|---------------------------------|----------|--------|------------|

| ESPN CFB Show (Love/Price Breakdown) | 6:39 | 37 | film_ |

| NFL Draft Big Boards Scouting | 12:20 | 18 | highlights_ |

| Sideline Sports Network | 6:31 | 19 | film_2_ |

Film Analysis

Key RB Traits (graded X/10):

Overall Grade: B-

Strengths

Concerns

Undersized frame gets engulfed in traffic (film_2_003 swallowed BT; highlights_016 no second effort). Injury red flag (2022 shelf, limited snaps)—durability for 250+ carries? Ball security lapses in graphics (highlights_004 note). No elite power/speed for every-down role; late-season fade questions motor.

Dynasty Outlook

RB3/changeup in pass-first offense (e.g., Shanahan tree). Year 1: gadget 100-150 touches. Year 2-3: Flex/RB2 upside (800-1000 yds, 5-7 TDs) if healthy, committee fit like SF/MIA. Fades if pounder needed.

NFL Comp

Bottom Line

Talented piece, not franchise RB. Buy low Day 3 if you need receiving back—don't mortgage for top-64.

SCOUT SCORE

Score: 78/100

Projected Pick: R4, Pick 100-130

Film Score: 78 / 100