Jeremiyah Love is a cheat code. If you’ve spent any time watching Notre Dame football over the last couple of seasons, you already know that. But it’s not just about the highlight-reel hurdles or the way he seems to glide past safeties like they’re standing in cement.
Honestly, it’s the consistency.
He just doesn't stop. Love recently declared for the 2026 NFL Draft after a junior season that basically rewrote the record books in South Bend. We’re talking about a guy who won the Doak Walker Award, finished third in the Heisman voting—the highest for any non-QB in 2025—and somehow did it all while splitting touches. He’s the first Irish player to win the Doak Walker. Think about that for a second. In a program that’s produced legends, Jeremiyah Love is the one who finally took that trophy home.
The St. Louis Speedster Who Never Fumbles
The first thing scouts bring up is the track background. It’s unavoidable. Love won the Missouri Class 5 state title in the 100-meter dash with a 10.76. That's real, verified "get-away" speed. But plenty of track guys fail in the backfield because they run like robots. Love isn't that. He’s 6-foot, 214 pounds, and he runs with a weird, silky patience that turns into a blur the moment he sees a crease.
He's also arguably the surest pair of hands in the country. Across more than 430 career carries at Notre Dame, he fumbled exactly once. One time. In three years of high-collision college football.
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Breaking Down the 2025 Campaign
Last year was his masterpiece. Despite Notre Dame missing out on the College Football Playoff in a way that still has fans losing their minds, Love was undeniable.
- 1,372 rushing yards on just 199 carries.
- 6.9 yards per carry. That’s a first down every 1.5 times he touches the ball.
- 21 total touchdowns, a new single-season program record.
- 39 explosive runs (gains of 10+ yards).
One of the wildest stats? He scored a rushing touchdown in 11 straight games to end the regular season. If the Irish needed a bucket, they gave it to #4. He basically lived in the end zone.
What Most People Get Wrong About His Power
There’s this narrative that because Love is a "track guy," he’s a finesse runner who wants to bounce everything outside. That’s just not true. If you watch the 2024 USC game or the 2025 Arkansas matchup, you see a guy who actually thrives on contact balance.
He doesn't necessarily go looking for a fight like a goal-line fullback, but he finishes runs falling forward. He’s got this "truck-stick" ability that he keeps in his back pocket. Against USC, he famously set up a linebacker by lowering his shoulder on one play, then hurdling the same guy when the defender tried to go low on the next drive. That's high-level football IQ. He’s playing chess while everyone else is playing tag.
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The Anime, the "Jeremonstar," and the Human Side
Off the field, Jeremiyah Love is... different. In a good way. He’s a massive anime fan and even created his own comic book series called "Jeremonstar." It’s about a world of football mixed with supernatural abilities. It sounds like a fun side project, but it actually gives you a window into how his mind works. He sees the game through a lens of "supernatural" traits—speed, power, and agility—and tries to manifest them on Saturdays.
His journey hasn't been a straight line, though. His parents, Jason and L’Tonya, have been open about his early social struggles. Doctors even suggested he might be on the autism spectrum when he was younger, but his parents decided to focus on his strengths rather than a diagnosis. That focus clearly paid off. He won the Disney Spirit Award in 2025, largely because of how he carries himself and the impact he has on the community.
NFL Draft Outlook: Top 10 Potential?
The 2026 NFL Draft is shaping up to be a big one for running backs, but Love is the clear RB1 on most boards right now. CBS Sports has him at No. 14 overall, while some mocks have him going as high as No. 7 to the New Orleans Saints.
Why so high? Because the NFL is desperate for three-down backs who don't have to leave the field. Love can:
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- Run inside zone and pick up the gritty four yards.
- Line up in the slot and run actual routes, not just swing passes.
- Pass protect. This is the "secret sauce." His former coach Ja’Juan Seider (who came over from Penn State) pushed him hard on blitz pickups. If you can’t protect the $100 million QB, you don’t play. Love can protect.
Realistic NFL Comparisons
You’ll hear a lot of Jahmyr Gibbs talk because of the speed, but that’s a bit lazy. Gibbs is smaller. Love is more like Travis Etienne or a slightly more explosive Clinton Portis. He has that "dead leg" move that makes defenders miss in a phone booth, but he’s sturdy enough to take 20 carries a game if he has to.
Some skeptics point to the Notre Dame offensive line. It’s a fair point—the Irish O-line is a factory. Critics argue that some of Love's 90-yard sprints (he’s the only player in school history with two 90+ yard TD runs) were because the holes were wide enough to drive a truck through. But you still have to have the gas to finish those runs. And Love has plenty of it.
The Verdict on Jeremiyah Love
Notre Dame is going to miss him. Badly. With Love and potentially Jadarian Price heading to the league, the Irish backfield is losing a massive chunk of its identity. Love wasn't just a stats guy; he was the "break glass in case of emergency" option for Marcus Freeman.
For NFL teams, the decision is simple. Do you want a guy who can change the scoreboard from anywhere on the field? Do you want a guy who won’t turn the ball over? Do you want a guy who is 20 years old with low mileage and elite character?
Jeremiyah Love is all of that. He’s the most complete back to come out of South Bend since Jerome Bettis went top 10 back in '93. It’s been a long wait for Irish fans to see another RB go in the first round, but the drought is almost certainly over.
Next Steps for Fans and Evaluators
- Watch the Arkansas tape: If you want to see Love at his most versatile (2 rushing TDs, 2 receiving TDs in one half), this is the game.
- Track the Combine: Look for his 10-yard split. His top-end speed is known, but his initial burst is what will lock him into the top 15.
- Check the "Jeremonstar" site: If you want to support his off-field ventures, his personal site is a great place to see the creative side of one of college football's biggest stars.