In a move that serves as the final, emphatic exclamation point on one of the most storied individual seasons in the history of Notre Dame football, star junior running back Jeremiyah Love officially announced his intention to forgo his remaining collegiate eligibility and declare for the 2026 NFL Draft. The announcement, made via social media on Tuesday night, comes just days after Love stood on the stage in New York City as a Heisman Trophy finalist and less than a week after he became the first player in the history of the Fighting Irish program to win the prestigious Doak Walker Award. For a program that prides itself on a lineage of legendary ball carriers—from Jerome Bettis to Kyren Williams—Love’s departure marks the end of an era defined by game-breaking speed, elite versatility, and a statistical output that rewrote the record books in South Bend.

Love’s decision to enter the professional ranks was widely anticipated by NFL scouts and draft analysts, yet its confirmation still resonates deeply within the college football landscape. Standing 6 feet tall and weighing 214 pounds, the St. Louis native represents the modern prototype of an NFL “three-down” back. His 2025 campaign was a masterclass in efficiency and explosive playmaking. Despite Notre Dame’s controversial exclusion from the College Football Playoff following a 10–2 regular season, Love’s individual brilliance remained the focal point of every game plan he encountered. He finished the year with 1,372 rushing yards on 199 carries, averaging a staggering 6.9 yards per attempt. More impressively, he shattered Jerome Bettis’ 1991 record for total touchdowns in a single season, finding the end zone 21 times across twelve games.

In his farewell statement to the Notre Dame community, Love expressed a “wealth of gratitude” for the environment that allowed him to grow both as an athlete and as a man. He noted that while he is “straight to the point” about his professional aspirations, the decision to leave was bittersweet because of the deep connections he formed with his teammates, the coaching staff, and the student body. He spoke of the lessons learned under head coach Marcus Freeman and the strength and conditioning staff, crediting them for preparing him for the physical rigors of the NFL. Love’s maturation was evident not just in his stats, but in his leadership within a backfield he shared with fellow standout Jadarian Price. Their partnership was arguably the most lethal in the country, but even in a shared system, Love’s “home run” ability made him a singular threat that forced opposing defensive coordinators to hold their breath every time he touched the ball.

The statistical milestones Love achieved in 2025 are likely to stand for quite some time. His performance against USC was perhaps the defining moment of his collegiate career, as he rushed for 228 yards—the most ever recorded by a Notre Dame player in the 513-game history of Notre Dame Stadium. That performance, coupled with a 94-yard touchdown sprint against Boston College later in the season, made him the only player in the program’s history to record two rushing touchdowns of 90 yards or more in a career. These highlights are the primary reason why draft experts like Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates have consistently ranked Love as the top running back prospect in the 2026 class. His combination of “vision and burst” allows him to navigate congested interior lanes, while his elite top-end speed ensures that once he reaches the secondary, he is rarely caught from behind.

Beyond his rushing prowess, Love’s value to NFL franchises lies in his high-impact receiving ability. In 2025, he hauled in 27 receptions for 280 yards and three touchdowns, often operating as a mismatch nightmare for linebackers in space. Draft analysts have compared his skill set to that of Detroit Lions star Jahmyr Gibbs or Christian McCaffrey, noting that while he was effective as a traditional runner, his potential as a “space player” in a professional offense is virtually limitless. This versatility is expected to make him a lock for the first round of the draft, with many mock drafts projecting him to land in the top 15 picks. Teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and the Minnesota Vikings have already been linked to Love as potential landing spots where his multi-dimensional game could thrive immediately.

The departure of Jeremiyah Love leaves a significant void in the Notre Dame offense, but he leaves the program in a better place than he found it. His role in leading the Irish to a national championship game appearance as a sophomore in 2024 and his historic individual run in 2025 helped maintain Notre Dame’s status as a premier destination for elite offensive talent. Coach Marcus Freeman has often spoken of Love as an “inspirational figure,” a sentiment echoed by Love’s receipt of the 2025 Disney Spirit Award. His humility and work ethic became the gold standard for the younger players in the locker room, ensuring that his legacy will persist through the culture he helped cultivate.

As Love prepares for the NFL Combine and the rigorous pre-draft process, the conversation will naturally shift toward his “draft stock” and his fit within specific NFL schemes. However, for the Notre Dame faithful, the focus remains on the memories of a player who seemed to score a touchdown every time the game was on the line. He found the end zone in every single game of the 2025 season, a testament to his consistency and his refusal to be denied. Whether it was the 98-yard effort against Indiana in the playoff or the record-breaking day against the Trojans, Love provided a highlight reel that will be played in South Bend for generations.

Ultimately, Jeremiyah Love’s declaration is a celebration of a player who maximized his collegiate window. He arrived as a highly touted recruit and leaves as an All-American, a Heisman finalist, and the best running back in the nation. By choosing to bet on himself and enter the NFL Draft, Love is following a path blazed by the Irish greats before him, but he does so having carved out a unique space in the pantheon of Notre Dame legends. As he moves on to represent his family and his university at the next level, he does so with the support of a fanbase that recognizes they have just witnessed one of the greatest individual careers in the history of the sport. The NFL is getting a superstar in the making, and Notre Dame is losing a piece of its heart, but the impact Jeremiyah Love made in his three years will be felt long after he takes his first snap on Sundays.