Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love takes the field at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday as the most anticipated offensive skill player at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.
While a growing list of top prospects have opted to sit out drills this year, Love chose to do the opposite, confirming Friday that he’ll run the 40-yard dash and participate in full position work. It’s a calculated bet from a player whose track pedigree and game tape already scream top-10 pick, and a strong showing could push him into the top-five conversation.
Jeremiyah Love’s Scouting Report and NFL Draft Projection
Here is Love’s scouting report from PFSN’s Mock Draft Simulator: “Love has followed in the footsteps of Ashton Jeanty and Bijan Robinson as the next RB prospect to contend for early first-round capital. At 6’0”, 214 pounds, Love is a bit lighter and leaner than his predecessors, but he nonetheless plays above his weight class in terms of physicality, and he’s an elastic, turbocharged long-strider whose blend of short-area quickness, throttle freedom, and breakaway speed routinely leaves defenders in the lurch.
“As an athlete, Love has superlative short-range and long-range dynamic ability, which he maximizes with sharp vision, patience, spatial IQ, and manipulative tendencies setting up gaps. And while he’s not the heaviest, he’s able to work through contact nonetheless with his balance, lower-body action, and fearless tenacity. Overall, Love is a bona fide RB1, who also excelled as a receiving threat and RAC weapon in 2025. He bears similarity to Ahman Green, and has a productive career with All-Pro potential in his future.”
PFSN’s most recent seven-round 2026 NFL mock draft has Love getting selected at No. 8 overall by the New Orleans Saints.
“Winning four of their last five games may have hurt their draft positioning, but that’s a trade-off the New Orleans Saints will take, considering the growth that Tyler Shough displayed. Now sitting with the No. 8 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, they’re no longer in need of a quarterback early, which really opens up more options for them in Round 1,” wrote PFSN’s Jacob Infante in his mock draft.
“Excluding positional value, I’d argue Jeremiyah Love is at least a top-five player in the 2026 NFL Draft. Still, he’s an explosive runner who combines sound decision-making between the tackles with elite speed, quick feet, and the ability to change direction, along with toughness that shows up both in the run game and as a receiver after the catch.”
Love’s NFL Combine Results and Measurements
Love measured in at 6-feet, 212 pounds. His measurements and 40 time are actually very similar to DeMarco Murray’s numbers.
Jeremiyah Love 🤝 DeMarco Murray pic.twitter.com/Qq4VUdrH7p
— PFSN (@PFSN365) February 28, 2026
Throughout Murray’s career, he rushed for 7,174 yards and 49 touchdowns (4.5 yards per attempt), while also catching 307 passes for 2,165 yards and 6 TDs. Murray played seven seasons in the NFL, including three Pro Bowl selections and an All-Pro nod.
Love ran the 40-yard dash in 4.36 seconds, which was the second-fastest among all running backs behind only Arkansas Razorbacks RB Mike Washington Jr. (4.33 seconds).
This year’s running backs are the fastest collective group of RBs in NFL Combine history.
An unofficial 4.36 for Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love.pic.twitter.com/8j3Y9AmjKF
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 28, 2026
Here are Love’s complete testing results so far:
40-Yard Dash: 4.36
10-Yard Split: 1.55
Vertical Jump: DNP
Broad Jump: DNP
3-Cone Drill: DNP
20-Yard Shuttle: DNP
Bench Press:
Note: This section will be updated later once additional NFL Combine results are available. Running back workouts at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine are scheduled for this afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, beginning at 1 p.m. ET.
