How Greg Bryant's Suspension Impacts Notre Dame's RB Depth

As one of the most experienced college football teams in the country, Notre Dame has a lot of talent returning on offense in 2015. But one of its best options at running back, Greg Bryant, won't be taking the field to start the Irish's upcoming season.

According to Pete Sampson of Irish Illustrated and 247Sports' Tom Loy, the junior running back is likely to miss the first four games of 2015 due to "a violation of team rules":

Bryant's reported suspension would rule him out for the Irish's season opener against Texas, road game at Virginia and back-to-back home games against Georgia Tech and UMass. 

After an injury caused him to miss most of his 2013 true freshman campaign, Bryant ranked second on the team in 2014 with 54 carries for 289 yards and three touchdowns. The former 4-star recruit also added five catches for 50 receiving yards out of the backfield.

With Bryant out for the start of 2015, only one running back who recorded a carry for Notre Dame last season will be available for the season opener—expected starter Tarean Folston.

While Bryant's suspension looks to be a huge blow for the Notre Dame ground game, the Irish are still in solid shape for the first four games of the season, as Sports Illustrated's Brian Hamilton noted on Twitter:

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Folston followed up a breakout freshman campaign in 2013 with 175 carries for 889 yards and six touchdowns in 2014. He led Notre Dame on the ground while only receiving 36 percent of the team's carries last season.

Notre Dame hasn't had a feature back under head coach Brian Kelly, but Folston could be one this season with new offensive coordinator Mike Sanford. In his one season as Boise State's offensive coordinator, Sanford had a clear-cut No. 1 running back in Jay Ajayi, who got more than half of the Broncos' carries.

Folston has the experience and the skills to shoulder an even larger load this season for Notre Dame, and the Bryant suspension should mean Irish fans should see a lot more carries for No. 25 in the fall.

But Folston can't do it all alone—and that's where senior wide receiver C.J. Prosise comes into play.

Joe Raymond/Associated Press/Associated Press

Prosise, who received major minutes last season in the slot, practiced as a running back this spring as the Irish coaching staff looks to find new ways to use him in 2015.

"I think during the year we saw that potential. We had always kind of talked about it during the year in terms of, we always like getting the ball in his hands because he’s outstanding," Kelly told Bleacher Report's Keith Arnold earlier this year. "He gets the ball in his hands, he’s got a chance to go. Certainly his speed when he has the ball in his arm is pretty clear even against SEC talent."

Prosise's speed would make for a dangerous one-two punch at running back with Folston. His work at the position this spring should prepare him for the added number of carries in 2015—and keep in mind Prosise carried the ball 10 times for 126 yards and a touchdown in 2014.

Behind Folston and Prosise, Notre Dame has a pair of 4-star running backs who could see playing time as true freshmen this fall, thanks to the Bryant suspension.

Dexter Williams was the nation's No. 11 running back in the class of 2015, and 247Sports' J.C. Shurburtt named him as one of 15 true freshmen who could make an impact this season.

"The Fighting Irish have good running backs on campus, but Williams can flat-out fly (4.41 consistently in the 40-yard dash)," Shurburtt wrote earlier this month. "He’s physically ready to go, and with a good summer, he can contend for carries. This is going to be a Notre Dame team that can run the football, and Williams could be a big part of that."

Josh Adams joined Notre Dame this summer as another back who could get some early carries. At 6'2" and 205 pounds, Adams showcased great tackle-breaking ability as a high school star in Pennsylvania.

Bryant's suspension may have cost Notre Dame some experience out of the backfield for the start of the 2015 season, but it shouldn't hurt this team too much for the opening four games. 

Other than the loss of a potential redshirt or two, Notre Dame's running back depth looks great, thanks to its returning leader, a new athletic playmaker at the position and two blue-chip recruits who are ready to roll.

Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Justin Ferguson is an on-call college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.