Jeremiyah Love Earns Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List Spot After First-Team All-American Preseason Selection for 2025

Jeremiyah Love Earns Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List Spot After First-Team All-American Preseason Selection for 2025

Jeremiyah Love has officially been named to the 2025 Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List, a testament to both his exceptional talent and the enormous expectations that surround him this season. Already honored as a Walter Camp Preseason First Team All-American, Love is widely seen as one of the most electrifying players in college football heading into the new campaign. His name on the watch list is more than just a nod to past accomplishments — it’s a recognition of what he could become: the face of a Notre Dame offense with championship aspirations.

For Notre Dame, having a player like Love on this list is a significant point of pride. The Walter Camp Player of the Year award is one of college football’s oldest and most prestigious honors, given annually to the nation’s top player. To even appear on the watch list places Love in rare company, among the elite of the elite across all positions. And while preseason watch lists are just that — preseason — they often serve as accurate predictors of who will dominate the sport in the months to come.

Love’s rise has been meteoric. As a freshman, he flashed glimpses of brilliance, showing the blend of speed, power, and vision that made him a coveted recruit coming out of high school. By his sophomore season, he was a central figure in the Notre Dame offense, carving up defenses with explosive plays and clutch performances. Now, entering his junior year, he’s not just the Irish’s best offensive weapon — he’s one of the most dynamic playmakers in the country.

What sets Love apart isn’t just his speed, although that’s certainly a weapon. It’s the way he uses it — intelligently, patiently, and with an eye for space that’s more characteristic of NFL veterans than college backs. He can hit the hole with violence or bounce outside with finesse. He catches passes out of the backfield with ease and runs routes like a slot receiver. He blocks with intensity and leadership. He’s the kind of complete back that rarely comes along — and it’s no wonder NFL scouts are already projecting him as a potential first-round pick in 2026.

Coaches around the Notre Dame program speak about Love with a mixture of admiration and awe. Head coach Marcus Freeman has praised his work ethic repeatedly, often highlighting how Love approaches every practice like it’s a game. Running backs coach Deland McCullough has gone even further, calling Love one of the smartest and most coachable players he’s ever worked with. That kind of praise carries weight, especially coming from a staff that has coached multiple future NFL backs.

The 2025 season could be a defining one for both Love and the Notre Dame program. With uncertainty at the quarterback position, there’s a strong possibility that the offense will be built around the ground game early in the season. That means more touches for Love, more opportunities to break big plays, and more responsibility to carry the offense in critical moments. If Notre Dame is going to make a legitimate push for the College Football Playoff, it’s almost certain that Love will be at the center of that effort.

The schedule offers multiple showcase games for Love to solidify his national standing. Early in the season, the Irish travel to face Texas A&M in a hostile environment — a matchup that will likely feature two top-15 teams. Later, Notre Dame will battle Florida State, Michigan State, and of course, USC. Each of those games presents an opportunity for Love to make his mark on the national conversation. A breakout performance on one of those stages could push him from watch list inclusion to legitimate front-runner for the Walter Camp award.

While the watch list is loaded with quarterback names — as it usually is — Love stands out as one of the few non-QBs with a real chance to take home the honor. That speaks to how impactful he is, and how rare it is to find a running back with his kind of versatility. In today’s game, where spread offenses and aerial attacks dominate the headlines, it’s easy for running backs to be overshadowed. But Love refuses to be overlooked. His game demands attention.

It’s also worth noting that the Walter Camp Award has a long history of rewarding running backs who elevate their teams. Past winners include Derrick Henry, Reggie Bush, and Ricky Williams — all backs who not only dominated statistically but carried their programs to national relevance. That’s exactly the kind of season Love is poised to have if things go right in South Bend.

What separates Love even more is his ability to impact the game beyond traditional metrics. Sure, he’ll likely finish the season with over 1,500 all-purpose yards and double-digit touchdowns if he stays healthy. But his impact goes deeper — he draws defenders into the box, opens up the play-action passing game, and changes the way defenses prepare each week. There are few players in college football who command that kind of respect, and fewer still who can back it up with game-changing production.

His leadership within the locker room can’t be overstated either. Teammates describe him as focused, humble, and relentlessly driven. He’s not a vocal showman, but rather a lead-by-example kind of player who holds himself to a higher standard and expects the same from those around him. When a team’s best player is also one of its hardest workers, the culture tends to follow. That’s part of why Freeman and the Irish coaching staff are so optimistic about what this year could bring.

Love’s inclusion on the watch list also reflects Notre Dame’s broader place in the college football hierarchy. Despite not being part of a conference, the Irish remain one of the sport’s most prominent and powerful programs. Having a player like Love in the national spotlight reinforces that image and gives the team a face to rally around as the season unfolds. The Heisman conversation will likely grow louder if Love keeps putting up eye-popping numbers, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him nominated for multiple individual awards by year’s end.

But for now, Love isn’t caught up in the hype. Those close to the program say he remains locked in on preparation, not praise. He knows that preseason lists don’t win games. What wins games, and ultimately awards, is consistency — staying healthy, making the right reads, fighting for extra yards, and showing up in the biggest moments. That’s what he’s focused on. The spotlight may be getting brighter, but Love is keeping his head down and doing the work.

And there’s still work to be done. Notre Dame has high expectations this season, and there’s little room for error. If the team wants to take the next step — from perennial top-15 program to legitimate championship contender — it needs its stars to deliver. Jeremiyah Love is one of those stars. More than that, he’s the engine that could drive the Irish through the toughest parts of the schedule and into the national conversation in November.

As the season approaches, the buzz will only grow louder. Every carry, every highlight, every game-breaking run will add fuel to the fire. But whether or not Love ends the season with the Walter Camp Award — or even a Heisman Trophy — the fact that he’s in the mix at all speaks volumes. He’s earned this moment. Now it’s time to see what he does with it.

One thing is certain: college football fans, NFL scouts, and Notre Dame faithful alike will be watching closely. Because players like Jeremiyah Love don’t come around often — and when they do, they tend to leave a lasting legacy.