Jeremiyah Love

The Player

Love is a threat to pull away every time he touches the ball and has explosive burst running between the tackles and going north to south. He’s a patient runner with a good feel for how to sift through traffic on the inside. He presses the line of scrimmage and makes late cuts, and he churns his legs to pick up yards with a second effort once his initial momentum is stopped. (His touchdown run versus Penn State in the 2024 CFP semifinal game is an outstanding example.) He was a unanimous All-American last season and rushed for 2,497 yards and 35 touchdowns over the past two seasons with an average of 6.9 yards per carry. He showed off his speed at the combine, where he ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash and a 1.55-second 10-yard split.

Love has explosive finishing power and keeps defenders guessing with the way he mixes in spins and hurdles. As a pass catcher, his speed makes him a threat running wheel routes, he tracks the ball well, and he can make one-handed catches. He’s a weapon in the screen game. He has the traits to develop into an elite route runner for the position, and he got 63 snaps working out of the slot at Notre Dame. There’s an occasional focus drop on tape, but he tracks and catches the ball well for the most part. He can still get stronger and work on his technique, but he made his biggest strides in 2025 as a pass blocker. He can step up and knock defenders back.

The ball can drift from his frame, but he got 504 touches and fumbled just once at Notre Dame. He’s built well, but a knee injury slowed him down late in the 2024 season, and he doesn’t have elite size. He leaves his feet and tries to hurdle defenders a little too often.

The Draft

Love is the best player regardless of position in the 2026 draft class, and he grades out higher than 2025 sixth pick Ashton Jeanty did. He has a chance to be the first back drafted in the top five since the Giants drafted Saquon Barkley second in 2018.

The Projection

Love projects as a team’s primary ballcarrier as a rookie. His speed and frame compare favorably to those of 2008 fourth pick Darren McFadden. Injuries derailed McFadden’s NFL career, but there was no questioning his talent coming out of Arkansas. A bigger version of Jahmyr Gibbs is another comp.