Overview

Jeremiyah Love posted an impressive 1362 yards from scrimmage and an even more formidable 19 combined scores in 2024. He was a de facto RB1 entering the season for reasons other than his Our Lady pedigree. But aside from being highly productive on a BIG10 schedule, Love flashes all of the requisite traits to be a back in the modern NFL.

Jeremiyah Love has impressive vision for cutbacks and openings in space and behind the line of scrimmage. When he doesn’t he does the dirty work – he is not shy about contact, and (big for me) he never lets his feet stop pedaling. He’s more suited to split zone and stretch type plays that make use of this, but his natural cadence with the ball in his hands makes him useful as gap runner. Patience and decisiveness are enormous virtues at RB and Love has scads of tape where he appears easy jogging and watching the story of the blocking unfold before he lights off the fireworks. He’s positionally versatile and Notre Dame gets all they can out of their back by moving him around the formation from the wing to the slot and of course at tailback. He runs plus routes for a running back, but is exceptionally polished as a screen back in light of his very smooth receiver to ball carrier transitions. His blocking is an undeveloped trait, and it’s his weakest point on tape.

Athletics

In contrast to Ashton Jeanty in the 2025 draft, I wouldn’t expect Love’s build or body type or metrical explosives to win him a top 10 spot. He’s a terrific athlete nevertheless, with exceptional transitional speed, top speed, and impressive power and balance, and for lack of a better word the athletic kind of bounce in his frame that I like to see at any position. Some might be concerned about his BMI characteristics, but if he shows over 210, he is good.

Strengths

• Top end gear to run away from defenders — see the USC tape for evidence.
• Smooth transitions in the field between gears to keep defenders off balance.
• Defines the term zone vision with his ability to find cutback lanes and openings in the line of scrimmage.
• Not a power runner but contact balance is S-tier.
• Only partially tapped versatility to line up in the slot or wide.

Weaknesses

• Takes on more contact than his frame can handle, leading to a higher than ideal injury risk profile.
• Love is not a power runner, and between the tackles he’ll need some blocking
• Extremely raw in pass protection, and will need to refine as a 3-down back.
• Sometimes over-eager to break for daylight, bouncing runs with a cutback available.
• Some scouts question his quickness and consider him a pure sprinter.

Draft Projection

There is a lot to be excited about with a RB like Love and I’ve issued him a grade heading into 2025. It is one that has the caveat that RBs and Safeties might blue chip but positional value is wildly disparate between various GMs at these spots. Still, Love might be the best overall weapon in the class and NFL is trending back toward the runner as centerpice model. so don’t be surprised if he is called off the boards in the top-10.

prospect comps • Matte Forte (Tulane)

system fit • majoring in multiple zone • spread attacks looking for a versatile HR hitter