Even though star running back Jeremiyah Love, the 2022 Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year, was ‘good to go’ for the prestigious Orange Bowl—a bowl game with a long and storied history—against Penn State, his backup has been hogging the limelight. This sophomore sensation, with all the potential in the world, has been sidelined by a nagging knee injury, keeping him on the bench for much of the season. However, when Love finally broke through with that clutch 2-yard touchdown run on the third play of the fourth quarter, shattering the stalemate after a series of punts, the crowd went wild!

Remember that game against Georgia? Well, that’s where things took a turn for the worse. Love aggravated his knee in the third quarter, throwing a wrench in the team’s plans. While his recovery is still a work in progress, this unexpected setback has unexpectedly thrust his backup into the spotlight. This has not only created a buzz on the field but also sparked a frenzy of interest in the backup’s NIL deals.

Who is the backup RB?

The backup RB is none other than Jadarian Price. Jadarian Price’s NIL Deal was posted by AP Sports Agency on December 18th, with the caption, “Big-time players make big-time moves! 🤝.” Star RB Jadarian Price had AMAZING partnerships with @powerade and @crumbl just before the National Championship thanks to A&P Sports Agency. It seems like the backup running back is thriving while Jeremiyah Love is out with an injury.

Even though the specifics of the deal have not yet been made public, this agreement fulfills the backup running back’s dream. Price posted on Instagram about this contract, saying, “Ever wondered what it’s like to be in my shoes? I’m setting the record straight with @powerade_us.” The company’s catchphrase, “one myth at a time,” perfectly reflects their athletic spirit. In a video about their NIL partnership, Price addressed and tried to dispel some common misconceptions about sportsmanship.

Price clarified those misunderstandings on sportsmanship by saying that the first myth about athletes is that they must adhere to a rigid diet and don’t eat ice cream and other treats. But he personally likes to eat ice cream, and he does. The last myth he dispelled was that players had no leisure time, but he claimed to spend time with his family. He stated, “In reality, it’s all about preparation, how you prepare make to feel confident when you set up the field.”

Well, the emerging RB has landed deals with Crumbl Cookies and Powerade, and his Instagram already looks like a pro’s. While Jeremiyah Love’s injury status is still up in the air after the playoffs finals, it seems to have opened the door for Price. Last year, he played in all 13 games for the Fighting Irish, contributing on offense and special teams and finishing with 272 rushing yards at an impressive 5.8 yards per carry. And what about this year?

Could Jeremiyah Love’s injury clear the path for Price to take over?

In the Orange Bowl, despite being behind 10-7 early in the 3rd quarter, rushing backs Jeremiyah Love and Aneyas Williams helped the Irish reach the end zone for the first time with a TD from Riley Leonard to level the score at 10 with 10:46 remaining. In addition, Love is now an essential component of the Irish’s offense and has obviously improved over his time with them. He had 11 carries for 45 yards and a TD at the end of the semifinal, along with one six-yard catch. For an RB like Jeremiyah Love, though, it appears like there were insufficient snaps.

Then, who else took snaps? Irish’s backup running back, Price, seems to have had an opportunity to play in that game because Love was injured. Price provided ground support for quarterback Riley Leonard. He also escaped for a touchdown that was 70 yards long. In addition, Jadarian Price rushed eight times for 86 yards while Jeremiyah Love had his first career rushing performance against the Boilers with 109 yards on just 11 carries in the game against Purdue this season.

Therefore, Price’s potential and skill cannot be denied. Now who will break records in the National Title game against OSU? Jeremiyah Love or Jadarian Price?