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A main position switch from the end of spring drills to the start of football practice today (Aug. 7) is sophomore receiver Justin Brent shifting to running back.

As a freshman last season, Brent made nine game appearances, predominantly on special teams, and did not catch a pass. With the top six wideouts from last season all returning - even though senior C.J. Prosise is now a full-time running back - and four promising freshmen added to the mix, it was going to be just as difficult, if not more so, for the 6-1, ½, 220-pound Brent to see action as a receiver.

Thus, to provide Brent with a better opportunity to see the playing field, Notre Dame's coaching staff has shifted him to running back, where he was Rivals' No. 1-ranked overall player in Indiana as a senior. The Speedway native rushed for 1,315 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2013 to earn Indiana Class 2A first-team all-state notice.

Even though Brent was an early enrollee in 2014, he did not make a dent into the two-deep at receiver. There was some speculation that playing running back as a senior may have inhibited his growth curve as a natural receiver. In addition, his much-publicized off-the-field social habits during his rookie campaign also highlighted what Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly believed was a lack of focus, thereby putting him in Kelly's proverbial "dog house." Either way, Brent's chances of providing an impact at receiver in 2015 seemed slim.

"There is a deep pool of talent at the wide receiver position right now," Kelly noted on Thursday morning, prior to Notre Dame's departure to The Culver Academies to commence practice on Friday. "It's going to be hard to get [Brent] a lot of reps at wide receiver."

Meanwhile, the running back position since 2012 has either come up short in recruiting or experienced attrition. The lone running back recruit in 2012 was KeiVarae Russell, who was desperately needed at cornerback that year and earned Freshman All-America honors there for the 12-1 Irish. In 2013, Kelly and Co., landed prime-time Florida backs Tarean Folston and Greg Bryant, but the latter is now ineligible. In 2014, Notre Dame failed to ink a running back in a recruiting haul for the first time since 1992.

Consequently, Brent is joining Prosise as a former receiver now aligned in the backfield in an effort to achieve better roster balance. Folston easily led the team in rushing last year with 889 yards (600 more than anyone else), while Prosise's 50-yard jet sweep touchdown run versus LSU in the Music City Bowl victory inspired the staff to look at him more closely this spring at running back. He made a strong impact, including a somewhat surprising aptitude to run between the tackles, and was the top rusher in the spring game with 12 carries for 64 yards.

Brent possesses virtually identical size to the 6-0 ½, 220-pound Prosise, but now he too has to learn the position all over again. Also vying for the No. 3 running back role will be freshmen Josh Adams (6-1 ½, 212) and Dexter Williams (5-11, 200). Other than Folston's 470 yards rushing in 2013, freshmen running backs have had minimal impact under Kelly at Notre Dame, which is what might help Brent have a better chance there for now to be the third option than he would at receiver.

"He's big and strong and physical," summarized Kelly of Brent. "Essentially what I told him is if he takes the ball and runs downhill, north and south, doesn't bounce it outside - because I'm sure I've got two freshmen who are going to want to bounce it outside every time they touch it - … I'll find some carries for him and I'll get him on every special team.

"If he wants to do that, then I think I can get him some playing time. If not, I think it's going to be hard for him to get on the field because we have such great depth at the wide receiver position. Will it work? I don't know, but he is a very gifted athlete … We'll give it a shot and see if it does anything for us."

The ball is in Brent's court, and he now literally has to run with it.