2026 NFL Draft scouting report: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
The 2026 NFL Draft is still over eight months away, but all 32 teams are already diving into film of this year's batch of prospects who are expected to turn pro.
Yes, it's early. And, yes, scouting reports written in August will be tweaked and updated as the 2025 college football season unfolds. But there are certain prospects who, aside from injury, are pretty easy to scout; their grade shouldn't change much this fall.
One of those guys is Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.
A native of St. Louis, Love was named Missouri's Gatorade Player of the Year in 2022 after running for 1,291 yards and 22 touchdowns for Christian Brothers College. Rated a four-star prospect, Love selected the Fighting Irish over other powerhouse programs like Alabama, Texas A&M, Michigan, and Oregon.
Love played second-fiddle to Audric Estime during his freshman season in 2023, running for 385 yards and one score. He enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2024 in which he ran for 1,125 yards and 17 scores, putting him squarely in the first-round conversation for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Physically, Love is listed at 6'0 and a lean 212 pounds. There's room to pack more muscle on his frame, although he shouldn't do it if it will cost him any of his explosive athleticism. There's no concern about his physical makeup whatsoever.
Athletically, Love is freakishly explosive. His twitch and juice are special. He explodes to and through the line of scrimmage, making would-be defenders appear like they're moving in slow motion. He's a hold-your-breath type of back; if he gets a seam, he's gone.
Love is a quality inside runner who navigates tight spaces with lateral agility. He possesses exceptional balance and body control through contact and finishes his runs with power and determination. Love maintains good pad level and drives through tackles.
On outside running plays, Love displays an ability to shift gears and smoothly create space. He can string multiple moves together and shows a knack for taking efficient angles. His breakaway speed to outrun defenders to the corner and finish long runs has few peers in recent NFL Draft classes.
As a receiver, Jeremiyah Love has flashed soft hands and reliability as a pass catcher. The receiving game isn't his calling card, but it's certainly not a weakness, either.
In fact, there are few weaknesses in Love's game. At times, he lacks patience behind the line of scrimmage, but his power and freakish tackle-breaking ability help him get away with it. He must refine that part of his game a bit. He needs more pass-protection reps, too.
Overall, you'll be hard-pressed to find a running back in the 2026 NFL Draft who can challenge Love for the RB1 spot. He profiles as a potential offensive centerpiece in the NFL who can handle all three downs of work.
With Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton proving in the 2025 NFL Draft that there's still an appetite for first-round running backs, Love will undoubtedly rate in that same tier and could be viewed by some teams as an even better prospect than Jeanty was.
Preseason Grade: 8.56 (mid-first round)
