2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report: RB Jeremiah Love, Notre Dame

Name: Jeremiyah Love

Position: Running Back

School: Notre Dame University

Height/Weight: 6’0”, 210 lbs

Class: Junior (2025 season)

Hometown: St. Louis, MO

High School: Christian Brothers College High School

Recruiting Rank: 4-star recruit, top-100 overall, #4–5 RB nationally in 2023 class (Rivals/247Sports Composite)

Draft Projections:

•  Pro Football Network → 1st round, Top 10–15 overall, RB1 (December 2025)

•  PFF → 1st round, Top 10–15, RB1 (highest cumulative grade among RBs since 2024)

•  NFL Draft Buzz → 1st round, #1 RB, potential first Notre Dame RB in Round 1 since Jerome Bettis (1993)

•  NFL.com → Early 1st round projection

•  ESPN (Mel Kiper) → Top RB in 2026 class

•  Consensus → Clear RB1, likely Day 1 selection in top 15–20, with strong top-10 upside

Career Background

A consensus four-star recruit and top-5 running back nationally, Jeremiyah Love led Christian Brothers College to back-to-back Missouri state championships (2021–2022), earning Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior. At Notre Dame, he saw limited action as a true freshman in 2023 before exploding in 2024 with 1,125 rushing yards and 17 TDs, contributing to a CFP National Championship appearance. In 2025, as the clear feature back, Love rushed for 1,372 yards and 18 TDs on 199 carries (6.9 YPC), added 27 receptions for 280 yards and 3 TDs, and powered Notre Dame to a 10-2 record. Despite a controversial CFP exclusion, Love earned Doak Walker Award winner, Heisman Trophy finalist (3rd place), and unanimous All-American honors. He declared for the 2026 NFL Draft on December 16, 2025.

Career Stats

•  2023 (Freshman) → 71 carries, 385 yards, 1 TD; 8 receptions, 77 yards, 1 TD

•  2024 (Sophomore) → 163 carries, 1,125 yards, 17 TDs; 28 receptions, ~237 yards

•  2025 (Junior) → 199 carries, 1,372 yards, 18 TDs (6.9 YPC); 27 receptions, 280 yards, 3 TDs

•  Career Totals (3 Seasons) → 433 carries, 2,882 yards, 36 rush TDs (6.7 YPC); ~63 receptions, ~594 yards, ~4 rec TDs; 42 total TDs, 1 fumble

Advanced Stats (2025, PFF):

•  PFF Overall Grade → 92.9 (1st among 404 FBS RBs)

•  Yards Per Carry → 6.9 (elite efficiency)

•  Forced Missed Tackles → 56 (0.281 per attempt; 81st percentile among qualified FBS RBs)

•  Yards After Contact → 896 (4.50 per attempt; 94th percentile among qualified FBS RBs)

•  Breakaway Run Rate → ~52.9% (97th percentile among qualified FBS RBs)

•  Explosive Plays → 39 (0.196 per attempt; 99th percentile among qualified FBS RBs)

•  Receiving Grade → Strong (versatile pass-catching threat)

•  Pass Protection → Developing but functional

Awards and Accolades

High School:

•  Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year (2022)

•  Back-to-back state championships

College:

•  Doak Walker Award Winner (2025) — First in Notre Dame history

•  Heisman Trophy Finalist (2025, 3rd place)

•  Unanimous All-American (2025)

•  Maxwell Award Finalist, Walter Camp Finalist (2025)

•  Program records: Single-season total TDs (21), tied single-season rush TDs (18), multiple long-run marks

Character and Leadership

Love earns praise for his maturity and resilience, with Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman highlighting his “uncomfortable leadership” style—adapting to lead others despite personal challenges, including a nagging knee injury during the 2024 playoffs that tested his mental fortitude. In interviews, Love shares his unique personality, noting he didn’t feel emotions as a child but grew to embrace them, crediting his parents for encouragement and anime/comics for shaping his dynamic play. Fans and media describe him as humble and inspirational, with stories of a $20,000 donation to a local family in need showing off-field generosity. No reprimands, issues, or negative criticism surfaced; scouts view him as focused and team-oriented. Academically, he maintained a 4.05 GPA in high school, eyeing pre-med or engineering majors. Was a Disney Spirit Award recipient.

Injuries

Minor setbacks hit in 2025, including a rib/upper body issue vs. Stanford (returned same game with protection) and a nagging knee aggravation late-season. No major or structural damage reported; he played through issues and finished strong. His durable frame with low career wear supports strong NFL longevity projections, with full recovery expected pre-Combine.

Play Style

Love delivers as an explosive, home-run hitter with elite track speed (sub-4.4 40 projection) and one-cut burst in zone schemes. Patient vision pairs with sudden acceleration to create big plays; surprising physicality/contact balance for size, plus natural receiving skills make him a true three-down weapon. He thrives stressing defenses vertically/horizontally; comps include Jahmyr Gibbs (speed/mismatch), or prime Alvin Kamara. Pass protection remains developmental but improving.

Strengths

1.  Elite Speed/Explosion — Track background; multiple 90+ yard TDs, instant scoring threat anywhere.

2.  Vision & Patience — Sets up blocks, decisive cuts; excels in zone concepts.

3.  Receiving Versatility — Soft hands, route polish; legitimate mismatch out of backfield.

4.  Contact Balance — Breaks tackles (56 forced misses in 2025), stiff-arms, leg churn; plays bigger than listed size.

5.  Big-Play Ability — 6.9 YPC career, low fumbles (1 in 433 carries); game-breaker traits.

Weaknesses

1.  Pass Protection — Inconsistent anchor/technique vs. blitzers; can improve recognition.

2.  Power vs. Loaded Boxes — Not a pure pile-mover; occasional hesitation/arm tackles.

3.  Build/Mass — ~210 lbs; may add weight for bell-cow workload durability and may play best in a committee similar to Sonic (Jahmyr Gibbs) and Knuckles (David Montgomery). Notre Dame deployed a committee backfield with Jadarian Price.

4.  Hurdling Habit — Occasional leaps risk hits/injury (coached down but persists).

5.  Volume Wear — Handled increased touches well but monitored for longevity.

Final Evaluation

Jeremiyah Love stands as the consensus RB1 and a premier blue-chip talent in the 2026 class, blending elite speed, vision, receiving skill, and production into a potential franchise three-down back. Cross-referencing PFN, PFF, and NFL Draft Buzz underscores his explosive traits, versatility, and ball security as separators, with pass protection as the main polish area. In today’s NFL prioritizing multifunctional backs (Gibbs, McCaffrey, Bijan), Love has All-Pro upside and warrants top-15 consideration—potentially the highest-drafted Notre Dame RB since Bettis. He projects as an immediate difference-maker capable of elevating offenses and sustaining playoff-caliber impact over a long career.

Sources

•  Pro Football Network (2025 scouting reports, draft projections)

•  PFF (2025 grades, mock drafts, player analysis)

•  NFL Draft Buzz (full profile/scouting report)

•  ESPN (stats, awards, rankings)

•  NFL.com (declaration/projection coverage)

•  Sports-Reference (career stats compilation)

•  Notre Dame Athletics/Wikipedia (bio, accolades)