TribLive is highlighting the top prospects leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. The three-day event is April 23-25.
Jeremiyah Love
School: Notre Dame
Position: Running back
Height/weight: 6-foot/212 pounds
Love is the consensus No. 1 running back in this year’s draft class.
The 20-year-old proved himself to be an elite three-down back last season while breaking Notre Dame’s single-season record for total touchdowns (21). He rushed for 2,497 yards and 36 touchdowns over the past two years.
His explosiveness sets him apart.
Love showed the nation his big-play potential with a 98-yard touchdown run in the 2024 CFP first round against Indiana. A high school track champion in Missouri, Love used his speed to average 6.9 yards per carry in two seasons as Notre Dame’s starting running back.
The Fighting Irish didn’t use Love heavily as a pass catcher — 27 receptions last season — but draft analysts consider him a more than capable receiver.
NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein compared Love favorably to Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs, noting that Love “runs with a fierce tempo” and can stress defensive with “big-play speed.”
Love was an effective runner but also efficient. He had 20 or more carries in a game only three times.
In all, he shouldered 199 carries in 12 games last season and 433 over his three-year college career, which was fewer than some other recent first-round picks. In the 2025 class, Omarion Hampton had 622 college carries at North Carolina and Ashton Jeanty had 750 at Boise State, with 374 in his final year there.
Love would be the eighth running back drafted in the first round since 2020.
Key stat
4.36 seconds — Love’s 40-yard dash time at the scouting combine, second best among running backs this year.
Did you know?
Notre Dame hasn’t had a running back drafted in the first round since the Rams selected Jerome Bettis 10th overall in 1993.
On draft
Here is a look at where the top NFL Draft analysts rank Love among all prospects and players at his position:
Draft expert — Overall/RBs
Mel Kiper Jr. — second/first
Daniel Jeremiah — second/first
Todd McShay — first/first
Field Yates — second/first
Quotable
“I’ve always been taught that good players (already on the roster) shouldn’t take you away from taking greatness (in the draft). And I believe Jeremiyah Love is the best player in this year’s draft class.” — NFL Network draft analyst Jordan Reid
