From a quiet freshman backup in South Bend to the richest running back contract in NFL history, Jeremiyah Love’s rise has rewritten what is possible at the position. The St. Louis native, a Heisman finalist and Doak Walker Award winner, was selected in the top three of the 2026 NFL Draft and instantly reset the market for ball carriers. His story is part talent, part grit, and all heart.
From Notre Dame Backup to NFL’s Highest-Paid Running Back
Love’s leap from college star to professional record-setter happened in the span of a single April weekend. When Commissioner Roger Goodell called his name inside the top three picks of the 2026 NFL Draft, he became the highest-drafted running back in nearly a decade.
Days later, he signed a fully guaranteed rookie deal that, paired with endorsement commitments, made him the highest-paid running back in professional football. The contract instantly flipped a position the league had spent years devaluing.
For a player who arrived at Notre Dame as a consensus four-star recruit and the second option in the backfield, the financial windfall feels almost surreal. “Coach McCullough set the foundation for me at Notre Dame,” Love said in his post-draft interview, crediting running backs coach Deland McCullough for shaping his approach.
The Numbers Behind a Historic College Career
Love did not just compile stats at Notre Dame. He delivered moments that fans in South Bend will replay for decades.
His final résumé reads like a checklist for college football immortality: Consensus All-American, Unanimous All-American, Doak Walker Award winner, and Heisman Trophy finalist. He leaves Notre Dame as the program’s all-time leading rusher in nearly every meaningful category.
| Season | Role | Signature Moment |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 (Freshman) | Backup, 385 rushing yards, 1 TD | Earning trust in a crowded backfield |
| 2024 (Sophomore) | Starter, CFP run | Game-winning TD at Texas A&M, hurdle vs. Army, two-yard plunge vs. Penn State |
| 2025 (Junior) | Heisman finalist | Doak Walker Award, top-three NFL Draft pick |
The Hurdles, the Sprints and the Gritty Two Yards
Ask any Notre Dame fan about Love and they will not start with the stats. They will start with the hurdles.
The leap over an Army defender. The soaring jump that helped beat USC. The viral hurdle in the Miami game that flooded social media within minutes. Each one became a snapshot of a player who refused to be tackled the easy way.
Then there were the long ones. The 90-yard sprints against Boston College and Indiana showed a level of breakaway speed rarely seen from a 210-pound back. But the play that defined him was not flashy at all.
Against Penn State in the College Football Playoff, on a fourth-quarter drive that felt impossible, Love churned out what teammates still call “the grittiest two-yard rush in football history.” No hurdle. No highlight. Just contact, balance and will.
Why Scouts Called Him a Generational Talent
NFL evaluators spent months trying to find weaknesses in Love’s game. Most came back with the same scouting report: rare combination of vision, contact balance and home-run speed.
- Versatility: Lined up as a receiver on more than 20 percent of his snaps as a junior.
- Durability: Played through a knee scare in the 2024 playoff run without missing a meaningful series.
- Production: Scored a rushing touchdown in 14 straight games during his sophomore season, a Notre Dame record.
- Leadership: Voted a team captain as a junior, the first running back to earn the honor in over a decade.
His combine performance only added fuel. A sub 4.40 forty-yard dash at 210 pounds is the kind of number that turns a first-round pick into a top-three lock.
That quote from an AFC scouting director, shared in pre-draft coverage, captured why front offices were willing to break their own rules about paying running backs at the top of the draft.
What His Deal Means for the Running Back Market
Love’s contract lands at a moment when the NFL had spent years pushing running back salaries down. Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs all spoke publicly about feeling undervalued. Love’s deal changes the conversation overnight.
Agents around the league are already pointing to his guaranteed money as the new floor for elite young backs. Veteran players have taken to social media to celebrate, with several current NFL stars posting congratulations and pointed comments about the position finally getting its due.
For Notre Dame, the impact is just as big. Recruits watching Love’s journey now see a clear path: come to South Bend as a four-star, develop under McCullough, and leave as the richest player at your position in football.
Jeremiyah Love’s story is the kind that makes sports worth watching. A quiet kid from St. Louis who hurdled defenders, broke records, and finally broke the ceiling on what running backs are worth. Notre Dame fans will miss him, but they will never forget him. What is your favorite Jeremiyah Love moment in an Irish uniform? Drop it in the comments and share this story with the fan who needs to relive it.
