Price joins Irish while Smallwood heads to UNT

For Jadarian Price, it was a moment that seemed preordained from his first game as a freshman.

For Dameon Smallwood, it was a moment that came after going down a different path from the growth of his skill set.

And the relationship between offensive lineman and running back took one final turn as Price signed to play for Notre Dame while Smallwood signed to play for North Texas.

Price chose the Irish over Texas, Oklahoma State, Baylor, TCU, Ohio State, USC, Stanford and Minnesota in addition to offers from dozens of others.

“It’s a dream come true. It’s been a long time coming,” Price said. “It’s exactly how I thought it would be — all the people who have been behind me here supporting the whole time.”

Price is a four-star prospect ranked as the 158th player, the 14th running back in the country and the 27th-best player in Texas for the Class of 2022 by 247Sports.

Among Lone Star State running backs he is ranked third, behind Klein Cain’s Jaydon Blue, who is headed to Texas and Tyler Legacy’s Jamarion Miller, who is headed to Alabama.

Price made his decision back in February but barely two weeks ago, Notre Dame had a head coaching change when Brian Kelly left for LSU.

That didn’t change Price’s mind — especially when defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman was elevated to run the program and kept offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and running backs coach Lance Taylor.

“I fell in love with the school. Coaching changes always bring drama but no matter who the coach was I would still find success,” Price said.

He is also going to enroll early, finishing up classes at Denison this week and starting at Notre Dame on Jan. 9.

“At first I really wasn’t into it — I was going to play basketball, run track and hang out with my friends through graduation,” Price said. “Then we talked about it and I knew it was a matter of my future and what would be best for me. It gives me a better opportunity to see the field.”

He ended his career with the most carries in school history (728) for 5,095 yards (third-most) and his 59 total touchdowns (53 rushing) are fourth-most in school history.

Price also tied for the sixth-most receptions in a career with 64 and is fourth on the program’s all-time scoring list with 360 points.

Only D.J. Jones (5,537 from 2007-09) and Corey Robertson (5,218 from 2001-04) have more yards and those two and Chris Robertson (1996-97) are the only Jackets with more rushing TDs.

“I just know that people could see I make things happen,” Price said. “It’s an honor for people to see my talents. I went out there and did what I could for the team to be successful.”

Price gained 1,798 yards and 17 TDs on 193 carries to go with 26 catches for 316 yards and two TDs in his final season as Denison went 7-4 with a bi-district loss to Ennis and made the playoffs for the second straight year. He also set the school record for longest play with a 105-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Frisco Memorial. He was named the 7-5A (II) Offensive Player of the Year. His yardage total was the 16th-best for a season in school history.

He joined Corey Robertson as the only Yellow Jackets to have three multiple 1,000-yard seasons and his yardage total was the 11th-best for a season in school history.

As a junior, Price had 1,145 yards and 19 touchdowns on 174 carries and was a first-team all-district selection as Denison went 7-4 and made the playoffs for the first time in three years after missing on a tie-breaker the previous two seasons, losing to North Forney in the first round.

Price joined D.J. Jones, Chris and Corey Robertson, Stanley Morrison and Asa Osbourn as the only Yellow Jackets with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons

During his sophomore season, Price finished with 151 carries for 732 yards and three touchdowns and was a first-team all-district selection in 7-5A (II) despite missing the equivalent of three games due to an ankle injury.

As a freshman he ran for 1,421 yards and 16 touchdowns on 210 carries, setting school marks in all three categories for a ninth-grader, and was the 7-5A (II) Offensive Newcomer of the Year. His yardage total was the 16th-best for a season in school history.

The Irish are 11-1 and were fifth in the College Football Playoff rankings, earning a spot in the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma State on New Year’s Day.

Notre Dame made the College Football Playoff in 2020 as the No. 4 seed and finished 10-2 with a loss against eventual champ Alabama in the semifinals. The Irish were fifth in the final Associated Press Top 25 rankings.

Smallwood spent the past two seasons blocking for Price from the right tackle spot. But his first two years at Denison saw him trying to find a fit on the defensive line and at H-Back before switching to his current position.

“I argued with Coach Rogers for an hour. I got my first offer two months later,” Smallwood said. “It’s the right spot for me, where I’m supposed to be at.”

Smallwood chose the Mean Green over Liberty and New Mexico. He had picked North Texas in January but then decommitted a few months later. By the summer he had reaffirmed that UNT was the place to be.

“It feels really good. It’s special,” he said. “The coaches stayed in contact every day – that relationship they had with me was really big.”

Standing at 6-4 and 330 pounds, Smallwood is ranked as the 105th best interior lineman in the country and the 227th best player in Texas for the Class of 2022 by 247Sports.

“They see me as playing anything on the line. They like I can move really well for my size,” Smallwood said. “I really don’t care where I play — I want to be on the field and I’m going to work hard to do it as a freshman.”

He has been a first-team all-district selection in 7-5A (II) the past two seasons, helping Denison reach the playoffs both years and average 393.7 yards per game in 2021 and 391.7 per contest last season.

Smallwood totaled 48 knockdowns as a junior and bumped that up to 56 knockdowns this past fall.

North Texas won its last five games to get to 6-6 and reach a bowl game for the fifth time in six seasons under head coach Seth Littrell. The Mean Green will face Miami (Ohio) in the Frisco Football Classic at Toyota Stadium on Dec. 23.

This article originally appeared on Herald Democrat: Denison Price joins Irish while Smallwood heads to UNT