Notre Dame might just have another great running back in their backfield, and he's a 5'11" 230-pound bowling ball named Audric Estime. A lightning induced weather delay early in the second quarter caused Notre Dame and NC State players to take refuge in their locker rooms.
A nearly 30-minute delay did not discourage Estime though. The first play out of the break was a handoff to Estime on his own 20 yard line, and he took it 80 yards to the house.
GET OUT OF THE WAY@AudricEstime #GoIrish?? pic.twitter.com/l1OjXYEBTj
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) September 9, 2023
Notre Dame's excellent offensive line deserves a lot of credit on this play, as the Wolfpack's stout defensive front was blocked up well. Estime went nearly untouched behind his pulling guard Pat Coogan. His massive frame and power could distract from the fact that Estime has an effortless gliding sprint that leads him towards the end zone time and time again. Hard to ignore his unique running style on a play like the one executed vs a North Carolina State defense that had largely held the Irish offense in check to that point.
Estime is one of the more underrated running backs in the country, and he's looking to prove that as the unquestioned number one back in South Bend this year. He ran for 920 yards and 11 touchdowns, splitting time with two other backs, as a sophomore. One of those guys, Chris Tyree, changed positions to wide receiver and the other, Logan Diggs, transferred away to LSU. Estime clearly claimed his spot as the starting Notre Dame running back and has taken advantage of the opportunity so far in the 2023 season.
Through two games Estime has racked up 211 yards 29 yards for 2 touchdowns. The one place he has struggled a little in college is in the receiving where he only has 12 career receptions. This could affect definitely effedt his NFL draft stock, but running for 7.3 yards per carry is a good way to eliminate worries about other parts of his game. Estime is one of the toughest runners in the game, and according to PFF leads all running backs in county work 16 forced missed tackles. Running back at Notre Dame has always been a big spot on the college football stage, and the Irish have had a string of very good backs running behind great offensive lines.
They may have another elite running back, and if he keeps running like this who knows what Estime's ceiling could be.
