Jeremiyah Love announces decision on future with Notre Dame program
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Jeremiyah Love is declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Notre Dame junior, who was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy after rushing for over 1,300 yards and 16 touchdowns, announced on Tuesday that he will forgo his final year of eligibility. Love revealed the news via a statement.
“Those who know me best know that I am very direct, so I am going to get straight to the point and share that I have made the decision to declare for the NFL Draft,” Love wrote.
Love, a four-star recruit out of St. Louis and considered a top-five high school running back, signed with the Fighting Irish out of the class of 2023. He played behind starting RB Audric Estime, totaling 385 yards and a touchdown as a true freshman.
After Estime entered the draft, Love emerged as the starter in 2024 and finished with 1,125 yards as the Irish appeared in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. His 17 rushing touchdowns were tied for ninth in the country.
In 2025, Love put together his best season. His 1,372 rushing yards, the fourth-highest single-season total in program history, ranked fourth in FBS. He ran for 228 yards against USC, the Irish’s sixth-most yards in a single game. After the season, he finished third behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Vanderbilt‘s Diego Pavia in voting for the Heisman Trophy.
Love leaves Notre Dame with 2,882 rushing yards, No. 7 all-time in school history. His 36 rushing touchdowns are tied for the third-highest single-season total among Irish players, with his 18 TDs in 2025 tied with Estime atop the program record books.
Love is widely considered a first-round pick in the NFL Draft.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
