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Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love Watches Tape and Talks NFL With Athlon Sports

By Doug Farrar Athlon Sports

The recent "Running backs don't matter" axiom is about to take a severe beating when the 2026 NFL Draft gets underway on Thursday, April 23 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Because it's very likely that Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love will be selected in the top five picks, and for very good reason.

There are already a number of backs who have transcended those simplistic positional tropes in today's NFL. Whether it's Bijan Robinson, Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, Jahmyr Gibbs, or Derrick Henry, professional offenses have no problem whatsoever taking the right kinds of backs very high in the draft, making them complete weapons, and paying them accordingly as time goes along.

It's very easy to project Love as the next such back in the NFL. Because he can do it all at a fairly ridiculous level. Last season for the Fighting Irish, Love ran the ball 199 times for 1,382 yards (6.9 yards per carry), 18 touchdowns, 56 forced missed tackles, and 23 runs of 15 or more yards. As a receiver in 2025, Love caught 27 passes on 34 targets for 280 yards and three touchdowns, and he's proven capable of running more than just the normal two or three routes you normally see from running backs.

As is the case with the other backs named above, Jeremiyah Love isn't a position - he's a complete weapon, and that's why he stands to hear his name called much, much earlier than the running back non-believers might like.

I recently spoke with Love about his best college plays, how he wants to fill out his skill set once he gets to the NFL, and what the future holds for him.

Get ready, NFL - here comes your next offensive weapon.

Doug Farrar: Jeremiyah, when you've met with NFL teams, and you've discussed plays from your time at Notre Dame, what are the two or three plays that you would detail - or have detailed - to show the entire league what you are capable of? I'm hoping that the touchdown against Penn State in the 2024 Orange Bowl is in there, because that was a two-yard touchdown run in which I think you broke about 35 tackles. But overall, two or three plays that you'd like to show the NFL, or have showed the NFL, to say, "This what I can do."

Jeremiyah Love: Yeah, so... the Penn State run, the Indiana run, and then, the USC run [after catch] in my sophomore year where I hurtled a guy, and then trucked the next guy.

DF: So, the Penn State play - tell me about that.

JL: I believe that that demonstrates composure, you know, and it was just the situation of the game. That possession was very crucial. We had to score. So willpower is one of my powers. Being able to will my way through things, and I was not going to be denied. I was very composed, and made sure that I wasn't making any rash decisions, just because of the situation the game. At the same time, I was not going to be denied, no matter what. I think that's what that play shows - my composure, and my ability to make plays, and will through it.

DF: And the second run, the one against Indiana in 2024, what was so special about that?

JL: Speed and acceleration. Breaking for a long run, nobody's gonna catch me no matter how long the run is. That was a 98 yard rushing touchdown - really like 100-something.

DF: Yeah, they need to start counting horizontal yards in the equation.

JL: Right! So, I'm not gonna be caught.

DF: And then the USC run, also in 2024, what made that stand out?

JL: Just athleticism, just special playmaking ability and burst. I mean, there's a lot in that play Receiving ability. Caught the ball, and proceeded to run with balance in the air. I think that play just shows you a lot of who I am as a person, and as a football player.

DF: You've undoubtedly heard all the "Running backs don't matter" stuff over the last few years, but there are so many backs that define their NFL offenses these days. Bijan Robinson, Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, Jahmyr Gibbs. I think that you will be one of those offense-defining backs in the NFL as well in the NFL, but why do you think that you will be?

JL: Because I've got the work ethic to be the best version of myself, you know? I'm not really worried about what other people are saying. I just know that I hold myself to a certain standard. And as long as I meet that standard, and as long as I'm striving for greatness, everything's good in my book. I think that I will be a premier back, and a premier player in NFL, primarily because of my work ethic. What I'm willing to sacrifice. and shoot... football is my life. I've been playing football since I was about six years old, so it's in my blood.

DF: One thing that really impresses me about your game is that a lot of explosive running backs have as many or more negative runs as they do big plays, but you don't. Last season you had 32 explosive runs, but only 17 negative runs, on 199 carries. It's a really nice ratio. How do you balance the need to consistently make positive gains with the need to be more than just a "sustaining" back, where you just kind of get four yards over and over?

JL: So if I'm answering your question correctly, you're asking how I value being more of an explosive back?

DF: Well, you are an explosive back. Everyone knows this. But a lot of explosive backs have an equal propensity for negative runs - kind of a boom-or-bust thing, whereas you are a sustainer and an explosive back. How do you balance that so that you're not creating negatives. With you, it's either nice, or it's amazing.

JL: I treat every play the same. I'm giving my all on every single play, because you never know when you're gonna break one, or you never know who's not going to be in the right tackling position. You've got to give your all every single play, because you don't know what's going to happen. I just like to take advantage of all the opportunities I get, because in this game of football. you've got a limited number of snaps and carries throughout your career One day, my career is going to be over, and I want to make sure that every opportunity I have to get the ball, I'm doing something special with it, or I'm doing something that's going to help the team.

That's how I go about the game. That's how I go about every snap, every possession every carry... I go about it by trying to make a spectacular play every time I get the ball. So I think that's why those numbers are the way they are.

DF: There's also your ability as a receiver, because you're catching more than just swings and screens. You lined up in the slot and outside at times. I'm already seeing you run corner routes 20 years downfield. How did you specifically develop your receiving chops, and is that something you'd like to do even more in the NFL?

JL: I would love to move out to the slot more. I think that's that's that's what my bread and butter is. I'm a great receiver. I can put some moves on. I can catch the ball. I can run deep routes. I wasn't able to showcase those things very frequently, but I definitely would love if that was the case - you know, go out to the slot for couple of [snaps], and then come back in at running back.

I want to be the ultimate offensive weapon. In a perfect world, and the best world for me, I feel like me moving out to the slot a lot to create mismatches, that's something I do want to do more in the NFL. Whichever organization I'm blessed to go to, I will have that in the toolbox. Right now, when I'm training, I'm training on receiver - not running back stuff as much. That's how I've developed my receiving abilities. It wasn't natural. I had to work to get to where I am now, and I continue to work to get better at it. To the point where [I can be] one of the best that doing that, and also one of the best running backs, which I think I can accomplish. Because I'm kind of a perfectionist, so I'll get there one day to where I'm great at both.

DF: Well, greatness is all about reps, as you know.

Something else that stands out to me is that you're great in any kind of run game. The explosive runs are pretty equally distributed between gap, inside zone, and outside zone. Some backs are kind of more attuned to one thing, but you are just everywhere. If you were to detail to other running backs, maybe young running backs, the one key thing to know about all three of those basic schemes and how to excel in all of them, what would you say?

JL: Be a football player. This scheme, or a different scheme, it's football. Just make a play, you know? That's what I do, and when I'm out there, it doesn't matter if we run mid-zone, inside zone, duo - it really doesn't matter. I'm trying to make a play, so I'm reading it how my coach tells me to read it, or however I think is the best way to read it. And I'm making a play . Whatever [the run scheme] may be, it's football. Get the ball in your hands, make a couple guys miss, go through somebody, and score a touchdown. That's pretty much how football works offensively, so don't let the scheme change that. Don't let the scheme take away your patience, or feel, or your ability to score you know it's just it's just football.

DF: You've got a Notre Dame teammate [running back] Jadarian Price, who also might hear his name called in the first round. If NFL teams called you and asked for a scouting report on Jadarian, what would you tell them?

JL: I tell everybody that JD can do everything I can do. I think the reason that JD isn't viewed in the light I am is because, you know, I've had the spotlight at Notre Dame. I've been the main premier back, and I feel like JD could have gone anywhere else in the country and been the main premier back. He's a great running back. And he has some tools in his bag that I don't have.

I think JD's feet are faster than mine. He's a little bit more explosive than me from his first step. He can break more tackles than me, too. So, JD has a lot that he'll be able to use at the next level, and bring to a team so that they can have success. JD's got the same worth ethic, you know? I've been in a room with JD for three years. So I know him outside the game and inside the game.

He's a great person, and he's also a good football player. Whichever team is blessed to get JD, I mean, they'll basically get me in another form. Because if you put him in the right positions, and you allow him to be himself, he's going to be great. That's what I would say to NFL teams. And that's what I've told them every time they ask me about JD. Because it's the truth. I've been around him. I got to see him work. And then we've also been coached by some great coaches.

DF: The NFL team that drafts Jeremiyah Love, what will that team be getting as a player and as a person?

JL: As a person, you ain't got to worry about me. Off the field. I'm probably going to be in the house every day playing video games or whatever it may be. I don't really do too much. You can expect me to interact with the guy and be myself. Bring a good culture to the team. And if the culture's not right, we're going to build it right. We're going to build it the right way.

As a football player, you're just going to get a complete weapon. I plan to take the next step in my game when I get to the NFL. I'm prepared to showcase everything. I want to be a great receiver, a great running back. I want to play special teams a little bit. So, I really want to do it all. So, you're going to get a weapon out of me offensively. And then, as a person, I'm down-to-earth, and ready to work and build good relationships.

DF: Jeremiyah Love, you're mere hours away from finding out where you're going in the NFL. Best of luck, and I hope you land where you want.

JL: Appreciate you. Doug, appreciate you.

Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 7:55 AM.

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