Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is coming off the best season of his career in his third year with the Irish in 2025. With his outstanding performance, he has become the latest running back to receive top-10 buzz for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Jeremiyah Love Compared to Elite NFL Talent Following Impressive College Career
Colin Cowherd believes Love’s explosiveness and core strength suggest he can make an immediate impact as a rookie and remain productive in the coming seasons. Cowherd also asked analyst Lance Zierlein if the former Notre Dame running back is on the same level as Saquon Barkley and Bijan Robinson.
“I think he is,” Zierlein said. “Based on my grade, I don’t have him as high as Bijan, and I had Ashton Jeanty higher. Jeremiyah Love, to me, he’s not even the most natural running back on his team. But this guy has unbelievable speed and explosiveness… runs with an urgency that, at times, is a little too hot because he doesn’t let the run blocking develop, but when he hits that hole…”
“He’s got a great spin move, leaves his feet too much, he tries to jump over everyone, but that’s his mindset. This desire to attack everything is what you love about him, and it’s what makes him such an explosive home run hitter. I’ll tell you what makes him special: third-down talent. He is really good at picking up blitzes, and they line him up out in the slot; they’ll run him out in the slot, and he runs real routes…”
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The Atlanta Falcons selected Robinson with the 8th overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He became the first running back selected in the top 10 since 2018 and signed a four-year rookie contract worth $21.96 million with the team.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler reported this week that this draft may offer fewer early options at quarterback and running back. “Combining the two positions, there has been at least 10 QB/RBs drafted top-100 every year since 1985. There’s a decent chance that streak is snapped in 2026 (only 6 QB/RBs in my current top-100),” Brugler wrote.
Love might not be in the same tier of prospects as Robinson, but he isn’t far behind either. The ex-Notre Dame star rushed for 1,372 yards, accounted for 21 total touchdowns in the 2025 season, ranking No. 4 nationally in the PFSN College Football RB Impact Metric with a 92.4 score. Averaging 6.9 yards per carry, he could be the key piece for an NFL team in the top 10.
