Explosive stats and school records define Jeremiyah Love's legacy. The Cardinals secure a Doak Walker winner poised to redefine NFL backfields.
Former Notre Dame star running back Jeremiyah Love has been drafted by the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The St. Louis native had a brilliant career at Notre Dame, but his 2025 season was without a doubt his best. Love rushed for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns while averaging 6.9 yards per carry. Love also caught 27 passes for 280 yards and three more scores. His 18 rushing touchdowns tied for third nationally this season and his 114.3 rushing yards per game ranked fifth in the country this season, with all four players ahead of him carrying the ball at least 30 more times on the season. Love's 137.7 all purpose yards per game also ranked fifth in college football this season, and his 21 total touchdowns ranked third.
Love made his mark on the all-time list at Notre Dame. His 228 rushing yards in a home win over USC this season was the most ever by an Irish back inside Notre Dame Stadium. His 18 rushing touchdowns tied the best single season mark in school history, and his 21 total touchdowns set a new Notre Dame record. Love's rushing yards mark was the fourth best performance in school history and his 36 career touchdowns ranks third all-time.
That brilliance resulted in Love becoming Notre Dame's first ever Doak Walker Award winner, which goes to the nation's top back. Love also became just the fifth Notre Dame running back to earn unanimous All-American honors.
Love burst onto the scene as a sophomore, leading Notre Dame with 1,125 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns while helping fuel the team's 14-2 record. A knee injury in the season-ending win over USC kept him from making an impact throughout the playoff, but that didn't keep Love from ripping off a 98-yard touchdown run in the playoff win over Indiana. It was the first ever touchdown in the 12-team playoff.
Following his junior season, Love declared for the NFL Draft, which was expected. He continued to impress scouts with his performance at the NFL Scouting Combine, running a 4.36 at 6-0 and 212 pounds.
Love becomes the highest drafted Notre Dame running back since Paul Hornung was taken with the No. 1 overall pick in 1957. The last time a Notre Dame back was taken in round one was 1993 when the Los Angeles Rams selected Jerome Bettis with the No. 10 overall pick.
SCOUTING JEREMIYAH LOVE
Love's game and frame matured quite a bit during his career at Notre Dame. He was still a bit skinny as a freshman, but he continued to fill out, get stronger and by his junior season he was a clear every down back. Love also went from being an impatient, slashy runner as a freshman to a patient, explosive back that had developed an all-around game. Love shows tremendous patience as a runner, knowing that he has the explosiveness to plant and burst through the hole in Notre Dame's Midzone scheme. At times he can be a bit impatient on the downhill runs (Duo, Tite Zone), but that also improved in his final season with the Irish.
Love's physical development allowed him to not only absorb more punishment as a junior, but to deliver punishment. His leg strength and leg drive made him a far more effective runner in tight quarters during his final two seasons. Love's elite speed combines with his vision to make him a legit home run threat. He scored on runs of 98, 94, 76, 68, 68, 64, 56, 48, 48, 46, 45, 39 and 34 yards.
Love is more than just a runner, and his pass catching and blocking game are also strengths. Love is a legit weapon out of the backfield thanks to his strong pass catching skills and ability to make defenders miss in space. He also shows solid route running skills outside of the backfield and can win matchups in space. Love was a strong lead blocker for Riley Leonard in 2024, but his pass pro skills weren't often used. As a junior, however, Love became a true three-down back that displayed strong pass protection skills.
Love showed a special ability to hurdle over defenders in 2024, but he backed off that in 2025, which is a wise decision. He didn't expose himself to big hits as much this past season, and was also more willing to put his shoulder down and power through for extra yards, which limited the negative runs that were an issue at times in 2024.
IB Draft Profile
Jeremiyah Love Highlights
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