NFL Draft Scouting Report: RB Jeremiyah Love
Jeremiah Love*, RB, Notre Dame
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 214
Projected 40 Time: 4.40–4.45
Projected Draft Range (2026): Top 10–Top 20
Jeremiah Love arrived at Notre Dame from Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis with elite athletic credentials already proven. A four-star recruit, Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year, and MaxPreps State Player of the Year, Love clocked a 10.76-second 100-meter dash while leading his team to consecutive state championships. Rivals ranked him as the No. 4 running back in the nation, and his blend of verified speed and functional size immediately separated him from his class.
Love’s freshman season in 2023 served as a preview rather than a breakout while Audric Estime carried the workload. Even in a complementary role, Love flashed explosive ability, averaging 5.4 yards per carry and scoring a receiving touchdown in the Sun Bowl. The leap came in 2024, when he emerged as the centerpiece of Notre Dame’s offense, totaling 1,125 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns, adding 28 receptions, and setting a program record with 13 straight games with a rushing touchdown. His 98-yard touchdown run in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals became the longest in CFP history.
The 2025 season elevated Love from star to elite. He posted 1,372 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns, added 27 receptions for 280 yards and three receiving scores, and delivered one of the most dominant rushing performances ever recorded in Notre Dame Stadium with 228 yards against USC. Love broke Jerome Bettis’s single-season touchdown record, earned unanimous All-American honors, won the Doak Walker Award, and finished as a Heisman Trophy finalist. He leaves South Bend with 2,882 rushing yards, 36 rushing touchdowns, and 63 receptions across 40 career games.
SCOUTING REPORT: STRENGTHS
Elite Explosive Speed
Track-verified acceleration with a second gear that erases pursuit angles. Any touch can become a scoring play.
Balance Through Contact
Maintains momentum through glancing blows and consistently falls forward, adding hidden yardage.
True Three-Down Skill Set
Comfortable in the passing game with natural hands, clean transitions, and the ability to align in space.
Vision and Patience
Excels in zone concepts, allowing blocks to develop before exploding through creases.
Open-Field Creativity
Spin moves, jump cuts, and lateral agility make him difficult to square up at the second level.
Play Strength
Runs with more power than expected for his frame, finishing runs inside the tackles.
Ball Security
Consistently protects the football despite high usage and explosive play style.
Improved Pass Protection
Noticeable growth late in his career, showing technique and willingness to stay on the field.
SCOUTING REPORT: WEAKNESSES
Durability Projection
Lean frame raises questions about sustaining heavy NFL workloads across a full season.
Pass Protection vs Power
Can be walked back against NFL-level edge strength.
Route Tree Expansion
More effective on verticals and screens than nuanced route concepts.
Risk Management
Occasional hurdles and aggressive finishes invite unnecessary contact.
Gap Scheme Consistency
Occasionally misses backside cutbacks in power concepts.
SKOL FIT: HOW LOVE TRANSLATES TO THE NFL
Jeremiah Love fits the modern NFL profile of a premium offensive weapon, not a traditional volume runner.
He creates stress horizontally and vertically, forces defensive substitutions, and changes how opponents structure coverage. Love doesn’t need 25 carries to impact games — his presence alone alters defensive math. Paired with a physical complement, he maximizes efficiency while preserving durability.
This is not a “build the offense around carries” player.
This is a build the offense around threat player.
PLAYER COMPARISON (STYLE, NOT CEILING)
Ceiling: Jahmyr Gibbs-type multipurpose weapon with more interior toughness
Floor: High-end RB1B with explosive-touch value
Key Variable: Usage discipline and workload management
FINAL SKOL TAKE
Jeremiah Love is no longer evaluated as a Day 2 running back.
His combination of verified speed, three-down functionality, elite production, and game-changing explosiveness places him firmly in the Top 10–Top 20 conversation of the 2026 NFL Draft. Teams willing to invest premium capital in offensive weapons will view Love as a foundational piece rather than a luxury.
He may never be a 300-carry back — and that’s not the point.
The point is that few players in this class alter defensive structure the way Love does.
SKOL Draft Room Verdict:
A top-tier offensive weapon with legitimate top-10 upside and a strong top-20 floor. The teams that deploy him creatively will unlock one of the most dangerous backs to enter the league in recent years.
