If you listened closely on Tuesday, you might have heard a collective sigh of relief coming from defensive coordinators across college football. The reason? The nightmare is officially over. Jeremiyah Love, the Notre Dame running back who spent the last season turning opposing linebackers into turnstiles, has officially declared for the 2026 NFL Draft.
It is the news everyone in South Bend expected, but that doesn’t make saying goodbye any easier. When you have a guy who finds the end zone 21 times in a single season, you tend to want to keep him around forever. But for Love, there was simply nothing left to prove at the collegiate level.
Love Leaves a Legacy In South Bend
Let’s be honest: breaking a record held by “The Bus” is no small feat. Jerome Bettis has been the gold standard for Notre Dame backs since 1991, but Love managed to eclipse Bettis’ single-season touchdown record this year. He racked up 21 trips to pay dirt, 18 on the ground and three through the air, proving he’s not just a runner, but a complete offensive weapon.
He didn’t just stumble into these stats; he earned every yard. He rushed for 1,372 yards this season, averaging nearly 7 yards every time he touched the ball. That kind of efficiency is exactly why he finished third in the Heisman voting and took home the Doak Walker Award. It is also why he’s trading Saturday afternoons for Sunday paychecks.
In his farewell announcement on Instagram, Love kept it classy, showing some serious emotion for the program that developed him.
“Heading off to college, there are many uncertainties, but I knew Notre Dame was the perfect home for me,” Love wrote. He went on to thank his coaches for “pushing me outside of my comfort zone,” which is athlete-speak for “thanks for making me run until I couldn’t feel my legs, because now I’m about to get paid.”
Draft Stock: Where Does Love Land?
So, what’s next for the Irish standout? If the mock drafts are to be believed, Love isn’t going to be waiting in the green room for very long. He is widely projected to be the first running back off the board.
Some analysts, including the crew over at ESPN, have him projected as high as No. 8 overall to the Arizona Cardinals. Others see him sliding to the middle of the first round. Field Yates even floated the idea of Love landing with the Kansas City Chiefs at pick 14. Can you imagine Patrick Mahomes having a weapon like Love in the backfield? That should be illegal,
Regardless of where he lands, the tape doesn’t lie. Love has the burst, the hands, and the vision to be a Day 1 starter in the NFL.
The Final Whistle
For Notre Dame, losing the star back leaves a massive hole in the backfield. You don’t just replace 2,882 career rushing yards and 42 total touchdowns overnight. But for Love, this is the victory lap. He came to South Bend, rewrote the record books, and left as a Heisman finalist.
