Love's electrifying talent, drawing Reggie Bush comparisons, positions him as a top NFL Draft prospect. Where will this explosive playmaker land?
Notre Dame star running back Jeremiyah Love declared for the NFL Draft last night. He finished his career as one of the most prolific running backs to ever put on the gold helmet. Love was the first Fighting Irish running back to bring home to Doak Walker Award to South Bend and will likely end the season as a unanimous All-American. The St. Louis native finished his season with 1,372 rushing yards, 280 receiving yards, 21 total touchdowns and averaged 6.9 yards per carry.
As things stand today, Love is projected to be a first-round draft pick and would be the first Notre Dame running back taken in the first round since Jerome Bettis back in the 1993 NFL Draft. Love is a generational talent and his performance on the field, especially in 2025, showcased his entire skillset that makes him an elite NFL talent. Several analysts believe that Love is a Top 5 prospect in overall talent heading into the draft. ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. thinks the world of the St. Louis native.
"Love reminds me a lot of Reggie Bush," Kiper said in his latest big board article. "The 20-year-old has vision and burst between the tackles and to the outside, and he can break tackles with ease (60 forced missed tackles on the season). Once he gets into space, he can take it to the house with his breakaway speed too. But Love isn't only an outstanding runner. He also is a high-impact pass catcher. An NFL team will be able to flank him out wide and create a whole other dimension of the offense."
ESPN's Jordan Reid echoed the same sentiment about the 6-0, 214-pound back from South Bend.
"Love is an explosive-play generator whose versatility and explosiveness provide an immediate boost to any offense," Reid stated in his latest top prospect rankings. "He's a slippery runner who can twist and turn his frame to squeeze through tight creases. Love gets up to speed quickly, and his 32 runs of 10-plus yards this season are fourth most among FBS running backs. His smooth, effortless style is reminiscent of James Cook III, and Love can become a similar mismatch option for a creative play caller."
In both Kiper and Reid's prospect rankings, Love is the third overall player available heading into the draft. Kiper has him behind Oregon quarterback Dante Moore and Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Reid has him behind two of Ohio State's best defenders, safety Caleb Downs and linebacker Arvell Reese. It's without a doubt that Love will go somewhere in the first round, but the question is where? Which offense in the NFL does this versatile, explosive threat fit the best? The Athletic's Dane Brugler has some teams in mind.
"Love would be an exciting fit for the New York Giants," Brugler explained. "It would make more sense to add the draft’s most explosive offensive player over reaching for an offensive lineman or cornerback. The Arizona Cardinals have a glaring quarterback question that they might not be able to answer in the draft, so a dynamic weapon such as Love wouldn’t be a bad backup plan to help a bridge quarterback. If the Houston Texans address their offensive line in free agency, it might free them up to target Love, who would help everyone on that offense."
Nick Baumgardner, also from the Athletic, weighed in on which teams might benefit the most from adding Love to the roster.
"We’ll see where Washington lands, but pairing Love with Jayden Daniels would be very interesting," Baumgardner stated. "The Texans, Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears should be on the list of possibilities, too. Some of those teams might have to move up for Love, but he is arguably the best offensive player in this draft class. He’s a threat on every down, as a runner or receiver. Put him in the right system, and he’ll be the next Jahmyr Gibbs or Bijan Robinson."
Gibbs and Robinson are two names that commonly get referenced when talking about Love's potential impact in an NFL offense. Robinson was taken as the 8th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons while Gibbs was taken as the 12th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Detroit Lions. Some view it unlikely that he'll end up a Top 5 pick due to positional value, but he's likely projected to go somewhere in the Top 15.
"Love is a top-five talent in the 2026 NFL Draft and my highest-graded running back since Bijan Robinson," Brugler wrote on December 12. "However, positional value will likely keep him out of the top five picks. All that means is a team drafting in the six-to-12 range will land an explosive weapon who will immediately upgrade an NFL offense."
Wherever Jeremiyah Love ends up, he'll be an explosive, playmaking weapon for whichever NFL organization that elects to take him. Love finished his career in South Bend with 433 carries, 2,882 rushing yards, 594 receiving yards and 42 total touchdowns. He's had touchdown runs of 94-yards or more in each of the last two seasons and has forced 164 missed tackles in the last three seasons.
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