Consensus All-American. Unanimous All-American. Doak Walker Award Winner. Heisman Finalist. Top-3 NFL Draft pick. Jeremiyah Love. You could spend hours listing the Notre Dame running back’s career accolades, accomplishments and highlights. From hurdles against Army, USC and Miami to 90-yard sprints against Boston College and Indiana to the grittiest two-yard rush in football history against Penn State, the St. Louis kid has provided Irish fans with countless memories and moments to cherish. Now, three years after arriving in South Bend as a reserved and restrained backup, the greatest running back in Notre Dame history has graduated to the National Football League as the highest-paid ball carrier in professional football history.
Long before he ever imagined hearing his name called in the first three picks by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Love arrived at Notre Dame as an unassuming back in a long line of highly touted prospects recruited by coach Deland McCullough. “Coach McCullough set the foundation for me at Notre Dame,” Love said in a post-draft interview.
A consensus four-star recruit, Love made an immediate impact in McCullough’s backfield during his freshman campaign in 2023. The second leading rusher on the team, Love finished year one with 385 yards and one touchdown.
His role and stardom skyrocketed in his sophomore season. With Audric Estime off to the NFL, Love assumed the starting role and wasted no time establishing himself amongst college football’s premier workhorses. In game one in front of a raucous crowd of 100,000 strong in College Station, Texas, Love sprinted his way to 91 yards, including the game-winning go-ahead score over Texas A&M with under two minutes to play to silence the Aggie crowd. He followed that up with his first 100-yard performance two weeks later in the dominating win at Purdue.
Fast forward two months, and Love had run the Irish past the NIU setback and into College Football Playoff contention. Through those first 10 games, Love found paydirt in every single one. He then hurdled his way through the Army defense to the tune of 130 yards and two scores. A week later, the touchdown streak continued, as his 99 yards and another hurdle beat rival USC to secure a spot in the playoffs.
Love’s versatility and durability are two factors that separate him from other running backs, and that distinctiveness shone bright in Notre Dame’s marvelous Playoff run. It’s also the same powers that Marcus Freeman believes will make Love a gifted professional running back. “He has the ability and the skillset and want-to to make that come to fruition,” the Irish head coach said leading up to the draft.
Love’s quick burst and uncatchable speed were on display in the first round against Indiana. The 6-foot, 214-pound stallion slashed his way through a hole on the left side of the line to break off a 98-yard touchdown run through the heart of the Hoosier secondary. That opening touchdown, the longest in Irish history, set the crowd for college football’s first-ever on-campus Playoff game into a frenzy.
Two weeks later, Love showcased that durability in the Orange Bowl against Penn State. With the Irish battling back from an early 10-point hole, Love clawed through a restrictive knee brace and five Nittany Lion defenders for a powerful goal-line score to give Notre Dame its first lead. After shedding seemingly the entire defense, Love extended for the goal line before throwing up his signature heart sign in celebration. “I love being physical. Just going out there and trying to run people over,” Love said.
All told, Love finished his sophomore season as Notre Dame’s most critical offensive weapon, racking up 1,362 scrimmage yards and a mammoth 19 touchdowns.
His breakout campaign garnered extensive attention, yet Love still opted to lead a modest lifestyle away from football. His personality off the gridiron is arguably just as impressive as his performances on it. Love was commendably open about his unique temperament that led doctors to tell his parents that he is likely on the autism spectrum. His many interests include anime and comic books, which he combined in the offseason to create a digital youth comic series called “Jeremonstar.”
An inspiration for Irish fans across generations, Love entered the 2025 season with lofty expectations for both him and the team. Love found the end zone twice in the second game of the year against A&M, before setting a new career high with 157 rushing yards in week three against Purdue. He followed that up with four touchdowns in the first half at Arkansas. The following week, it was 103 rushing yards and a score against Boise State. Then, a modest 86 yards and two touchdowns against NC State.
Love’s magnum opus came in the week eight rain-soaked rivalry showdown with USC at Notre Dame Stadium. Love dominated the testy, sloppy battle with the Trojan defense, taking 24 carries for a Notre Dame record 228 yards and two scores. He added 37 receiving yards for a total of 265, the most by a Notre Dame player against USC. After that monstrous output, Love characteristically deflected all praise to his teammates, saying, “I wouldn’t have that performance without my team. The O-line, CJ, my receivers blocking on the perimeter."
As the Irish once again had to overcome early-season struggles to make a postseason push, Love only elevated his performance. With the rest of his offense half asleep against lowly Boston College, Love erased any chance of an embarrassing defeat with a 94-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter.
Against Navy a week later, Love scored twice more, one of which came from 48 yards out after he narrowly avoided a tackle for loss. In a critical ranked matchup at Pitt in mid-November, Love scurried for 147 yards on 23 touches. He opened the scoring with a 56-yard sprint after a nasty spin move to exhibit the depth and filth of his skillset. He once again defied all odds in his final game in Notre Dame Stadium, taking just eight carries for 171 yards and three touchdowns against Syracuse.
In sum, Love bested his previous marks with 1,652 scrimmage yards and 21 touchdowns, en route to earning the Doak Walker Award as college football’s best running back. He was also a consensus and unanimous All-American. For good measure, he was one of only four players nationwide invited to New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist.
Throughout his storied career, Love also possessed a rare respect for his fans and university in the increasingly transactional landscape of college football. “This is my first home. Notre Dame is where I made the name Jeremiyah Love,” Love said when he returned for the annual Blue-Gold Game less than 48 hours after being selected by the Arizona Cardinals.
As Jeremiyah Love closes the Notre Dame chapter of his story, fans in South Bend and beyond will always be grateful that they got to experience one of the greatest players and greatest people in Notre Dame football history. Amassing 228 yards against USC, 98 yards against Indiana and 2 yards against Penn State doesn’t happen without the character, class and one big heart of Jeremiyah Love. So, after all the hurdles, all the touchdown sprints and all the accolades, one thing remains true.
All you need is Love.
