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Andrew's in-depth Jeremiyah Love NFL Draft rookie breakdown of the Notre Dame RB. Read the Notre Dame RB's scouting report, strengths, weaknesses, and 2026 fantasy football outlook.
Welcome to Coach Knows Ball, an NFL Draft series analyzing the top prospects in the 2026 class. I'm a college football coach with 11 years of NCAA experience and have been scouting NFL Draft prospects for over 15 years. This series will give a deep dive into the film of some of the top players in this draft class, with detailed insight into future NFL standouts' strengths, weaknesses, and projections.
Scouting NFL Draft prospects is about projecting translatable traits. There is often overlap between translatable traits and college performance, but there's a reason many top college players are not considered legitimate professionals. For example, a wide receiver being able to get in and out of breaks efficiently will not change from college to pro. Conversely, an edge-rusher who got most of his sacks due to hustle or missed offensive line assignments may not have shown translatable traits on film.
The film clips in this series show each pro prospect's positive and negative traits. Reading this article will give you a more in-depth look into each player with actual in-game visual evidence. We will continue our 2026 series with Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love.
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Jeremiyah Love Rookie Profile
Jeremiyah Love is a 20-year-old running back prospect with the production, athleticism, and film of a top-10 overall player in this class. Love's game translates to the next level, but it remains to be seen how high an NFL team is willing to take a running back in this year's draft. Like Ashton Jeanty and Bijan Robinson before him, Love should immediately contribute as a rookie.
At Notre Dame, Love rushed for 2,882 yards and 36 touchdowns in three seasons. He also caught 63 passes for 594 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns. As an explosive playmaker, there is a lot to get excited about on film. Let's dive in.
Home Run Speed, Creativity, Pass-Catching
Love ran an official 4.36 40-yard dash at the combine. He plays that fast on film. He's 6-0, 212, and while not a bruiser, has no issues lowering his pads and running through people. He's a home run threat every time he touches the ball.
In the clip below, you can see his long speed. There are other instances of him breaking away and outrunning better competition, but honestly, I just wanted an excuse to share this clip:
Jeremiyah Love creativity, awareness, balance, long speed pic.twitter.com/GA72Xhsivb
— Andrew (GPNGC) (@DraftWithAndrew) March 3, 2026
Love is not necessarily a power back. However, when he has a head of steam, he will attempt to truck defenders. I don't see that being a big part of his bag in the pros, but it highlights his competitiveness. He's not afraid to be physical. While his finesse moves are incredible, he can grind through trash when necessary.
Watch the clip below twice. First, enjoy him literally gliding through the air. Second, check out how he finishes the run, lowering his shoulder to knock back the USC DB.
Jeremiyah Love literally floating through the air pic.twitter.com/VYuoawQcpw
— Andrew (GPNGC) (@DraftWithAndrew) March 4, 2026
The above hurdle isn't a one-time thing. He actually does that. It shows off his athleticism and creativity -- an underrated trait for NFL running backs who won't always have clean blocking up front.
In the clip below, Love clears a Penn State tackle attempt. In addition to the hurdle, pay close attention to the elite balance. His feet hit the ground, and he's able to use some physicality to power through two more defenders. His body never hits the ground. This is what we mean when we evaluate traits rather than results.
Jeremiyah Love creativity and elite balance
h/t @BenFennell_NFL
— Andrew (GPNGC) (@DraftWithAndrew) March 5, 2026
In addition to hurdles, Love also carries a functional spin move in his bag. There are two types of spin moves. One makes incoming defenders miss. The other is spinning off contact.
In the clip below, Love is a little too fast in hitting GT Counter. However, he spins to make the first guy miss, quickly catches his balance, hits a burst, then spins off the tackle to gain hidden yardage. Special stuff.
Jeremiyah Love GT counter
In a bit of a rush (negative in other instances)
Functional spin
Balance
Falls forward pic.twitter.com/2SXoDT0u1w
— Andrew (GPNGC) (@DraftWithAndrew) March 3, 2026
Love is a terrific receiver. He's quick and coordinated enough to run any route out of the backfield and has natural, plucky hands.
In the clip below, he accelerates up the numbers on a rail route. As a coach, putting his hand up mid-route makes me cringe, but the coordination and hand(s) are evident as he makes the snag on the run.
Jeremiyah Love rail route pic.twitter.com/6g9pwaxYus
— Andrew (GPNGC) (@DraftWithAndrew) March 3, 2026
I realize this article has mostly been highlights. At the end of the day, most pro runners can grind out three or four yards on a decently blocked duo or outside zone play. Love separates because of his special highlight plays.
Patience and Volume Questions
If there's one thing Love can improve, it's his patience reading blocks. Sometimes he gets out in front of his pads and plays too fast rather than letting the play develop.
In the clip below, Love is just playing too fast. The offensive line does a brilliant job sorting out the run fit, and there's a seam in the C gap. If he's patient and presses, he may be able to bounce off the tight end's block to get outside. Love just full speed runs and floats in the air.
In the clip below, Texas A&M adds an extra hat in the run fit. Based on the angles, there may be a cutback opportunity. Or just a chance to get what he can on the backside. Instead, he jukes to the frontside right into the fitting safety's path. Of course, he does a great job of salvaging a couple by falling forward, but at times, he simply plays too fast instead of letting his blocking develop.
The only other critique of Love's translation to the pro game is his pass-blocking. His technique is inconsistent, at times just throwing a shoulder, and he graded out poorly, per PFF. You're going to want him running routes more than blocking, but it's one of the few weaknesses in his game right now.
It is very difficult to poke holes in Love's profile, but I'll try. An organization has to justify spending a premium draft pick on a player who has never been a true workhorse back. Love carried the ball more than 20 times just three times in his collegiate career. This might read like I'm grasping at straws because I am.
NFL Player Outlook
This evaluation is easy. Jeremiyah Love has the upside of a league-winning RB1. He's powerful enough to get goal-line touches and skilled enough as a receiver to catch the passes necessary for legendary seasons. As a runner, he's as dynamic and explosive as any I've ever scouted.
The two areas of his game he can improve are pass protection and patience. If he can take to coaching and get better in those areas, he can be one of the best running backs in the entire NFL. Target him aggressively in all formats.
If you want to read and watch some of my past film breakdowns, click the links below.
- Fernando Mendoza - QB, Indiana
- Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III - RB, Michigan State
- Cam Ward - QB, Miami
- Jaxson Dart - QB, Mississippi
- Brock Bowers - TE, Georgia
- Jayden Daniels - QB, LSU
- Bijan Robinson - RB, Texas
- Jahmyr Gibbs - RB, Alabama
- Ja'Marr Chase - WR, LSU
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more draft content in the coming days.
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