Jeremiyah Love starred in his sophomore season for Notre Dame and has even been named as a future Heisman contender, with NFL teams already ranking him higher than his 2026 class
There is a lot of hype surrounding Notre Dame star Jeremiyah Love ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, with several analysts predicting him to be the first running back selected.
Love was instrumental for the Fighting Irish last season and helped Notre Dame reach the national championship game, although Ohio State won the title. Love had 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns last season and is set to feature on the cover of EA Sports College Football 26.
Heading into the 2025-26 season, Love has already been mentioned as an early Heisman Trophy contender and is expected to improve on his stunning numbers as a sophomore. According to ESPN, Love is already the No. 1 rated running back in the 2026 NFL Draft class.
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In addition to Love’s dominant rushing game, he also had 28 receptions for 237 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns last season. Love still has two years left of college eligibility, including the upcoming season, but could declare for the draft if he stays healthy.
Should Love declare, not only is he expected to be the first running back taken, but he could be selected in the first round. The last Notre Dame running back selected in the first round was Jerome Bettis in 1993.
Love has made it clear that he wants to improve on last season and has also challenged himself to win the Heisman. The last running back to win the prestigious trophy was Derrick Henry in 2015, but Love hasn’t ruled out success.
“Just to do better than I did last year, whatever that may be,” Love told On3 when asked about his goals next season. Want to win some awards. Want to win the Heisman, want to win the Doak Walker.
“I just want to do better than I did last year and make a statement for myself. And cement myself in Notre Dame history, to come out as one of the best players in Notre Dame history. But I just want to go out there and win it. That’s a long time, 10 years ago. But maybe this year, I’ll have to make it plus one.”
Love’s speed and explosiveness have already attracted the attention of NFL teams, and the Notre Dame running back believes that he is a unique athlete. “I don’t shape my game after anybody,” he added. “I kind of just have my own style play.
“I’m an all-around back. When I’m running the ball, I run pretty high, and the reason for that is because I’m a little bit taller, a little bit more lengthy. And whenever it’s time to get physical, I can get low and get physical. I don’t know how I would compare myself to other running backs.”
Love hasn’t just challenged himself to improve on last season, as he’s tasked the Fighting Irish with returning to the national championship game. This time, he wants to make sure they win.
“We’ve got to live up to those expectations,” Love said. “It makes me very confident knowing that the expectation for these guys is high, and it lets me know that they’re definitely going to grind their hardest and put in the work to live up to those expectations. Now I’m ready for the season, and ready to prove everybody right.
“Obviously, we got to the national championship game, and it didn’t end how we wanted it. But the fact that we made it there gave us a lot of insight on what we need to do in order to get there again and win it all next time.
“This season, we’re going to be hunted. People are coming at our necks, trying to make a statement. We welcome all of that. We’re just going to do what we have to do to make it to the national championship again this year and win it all. We know what it’s going to take to get there.”