Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (4) stiff arms Stanford safety Mitch Leigber (32) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

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Jeremiyah Love emerged last season as the nation’s best running back and among the best players in Notre Dame history. On Thursday night, Love’s talent and work ethic will be rewarded, as he’s expected to be among the first 10 players selected in the NFL draft.

If Love achieves that goal, he will be an anomaly. Only 12 running backs in the past 20 drafts have been top 10 picks. And the last two Notre Dame skill position players selected in the draft’s top 10 were quarterback Rick Mirer and running back Jerome Bettis, the No. 2 and No. 10 picks in 1993.

Since then, Notre Dame has had only five top 10 draft picks: offensive linemen Joe Alt (No. 5 by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024), Ronnie Stanley (No. 6 by the Baltimore Ravens in 2016), Quenton Nelson (No. 6 by the Indianapolis Colts in 2018) and Mike McGlinchey (No. 9 by the San Francisco 49ers in 2018) and defensive tackle Bryant Young (No. 7 by the 49ers in 1994). During that time, 15 other Irish players have been first round picks, including potential Hall of Famers in offensive guard Zack Martin and safeties Kyle Hamilton and Harrison Smith.

Since the NFL and American Football League agreed to merge in July 1966, only three Notre Dame running backs have been selected in the first round: Bettis, Vagas Ferguson (No. 25 by the New England Patriots in 1980) and Greg Bell (No. 26 overall by the Buffalo Bills in 1984).

Love is certain to join them. The only question is, how high will he be selected? ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah have the Tennessee Titans choosing Love with the No. 4 overall pick, while The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner has the New York Giants selecting Love with the No. 5 pick and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has the Washington Commanders picking Love at No. 7.

Baumgardner ranks Love as the top player in the draft, while Kiper Jr. and Jeremiah have Love as the second-ranked player behind former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Brugler has Love as the No. 2 player behind ex-Ohio State edge Arvell Reese. The only reason Love isn’t projected as the No. 1 or No. 2 pick is because of his position, as NFL teams do not place as much value on running backs as many other positions such as quarterback, defensive line or wide receiver.

As such, it is rare for franchises to pick running backs high. Ki-Jana Carter, a former Penn Star, is the last running back to be the No. 1 pick in 1995. In the past 20 drafts, the only running backs who were top five overall picks were Saquon Barkley (No. 2 in 2018), Leonard Fournette (No. 4 in 2017), Ezekiel Elliott (No. 4 in 2016), Trent Richardson (No. 3 in 2012), Darren McFadden (No. 4 in 2008) and Reggie Bush (No. 2 in 2006).

Love, who is 6-foot and 212 pounds, is in that category as someone who NFL franchises see as a potential difference maker at running back.

As a freshman at Notre Dame in 2023, Love ran for 385 yards on 71 carries (5.4 yards per attempt) while playing behind starter Audric Estime, who played last season for the New Orleans Saints. The next season, Love’s role increased. He ran for 1,125 yards on 163 carries (6.9 yards per attempt) and 17 touchdowns and caught 28 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns. Even though Love sustained an injury in the regular season final at USC and was not fully healthy in the College Football Playoff, he helped Notre Dame advance to the national title game, where the Irish lost to Ohio State.

Love took it to another level last fall, gaining 1,372 yards on 199 carries (6.9 yards per attempt) and 18 touchdowns and catching 27 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns. After Notre Dame lost its first two games by a combined four points, the Irish won their final 10 games, although they barely missed making the CFP as the selection committee chose Miami with the final at-large pick. Still, Love finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting behind Mendoza and Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia.

Love, who turns 21 next month, had a year of college eligibility remaining, but he instead entered the draft, to little surprise. He is clearly the top ranked running back, while his Notre Dame teammate Jadarian Price could be the second running back selected.

While NFL franchises usually overlook running backs, Brugler wrote that Love “has the talent to become a top-five running back before the end of his rookie contract.” Rookie deals are for four years and include a team option for a fifth year. For 2026, the total value of rookie contracts for the top 10 selections range from $29.6 million for the No. 10 pick to nearly $54.6 million for the No. 1 pick, per Spotrac. As such, Love should be all set financially for decades to come. Love will also almost certainly carry the ball on a regular basis starting with his rookie season and show if his team made a smart choice in selecting him with a top pick.