Jeremiyah Love says he was tampered with prior to 2025 season
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Teams tried to get Jeremiyah Love to leave Notre Dame prior to the 2025 season. He ignored them.
In a sitdown interview with ESPN’s Kevin Clark earlier this week, the former Irish running back and NFL Draft hopeful said that teams absolutely tampered with him following a breakout 2024 campaign. They’d simply call him, hoping to induce a transfer portal entry.
“It’s very simple,” he said. “Or they try to reach you through somebody else — coaches, parents, people close to you.”
But Love had no interest in leaving Notre Dame.
“You hit me up, I ain’t responding,” he said. “I’m locked in with Notre Dame. I was locked in with Coach Free. I wasn’t paying attention to it.”
In the modern era, it’s not uncommon for players to bounce from school to school on a yearly basis, regardless of individual success. Former Georgia defender Damon Wilson left the SEC champs to star on the Mizzou line. Following a year in which he started 12 times and led the team in sacks, Wilson hit the portal again to go to Miami.
For players who might not become a Day 1/2 NFL Draft pick, maximizing their earning potential in college is a smart move. Love, fortunately, stands to make big bucks in the NFL. He’s the No. 2 overall prospect on Mel Kiper Jr.’s big board and a projected top-10 pick.
The money will take care of itself, which frees Love up to focus on other things.
“I kind of think of it as sticking to your word,” Love told the South Bend Tribune’s Mike Berardino at the Heisman Trophy ceremony last December. “I feel like that word is bond. I gave my word to the fans of Notre Dame, the coaching staff of Notre Dame, and the people of Notre Dame in general that I was all in. Throughout my whole college experience, I wanted to stick with them and finish it all with them. It’s very important to do that, just as a person: Stick to your word.”
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
