Notre Dame’s old backfield pairing is about to collide on an NFL Sunday, and the first meeting between Jadarian Price and Jeremiyah Love comes with a spotless pro record on the line for one of them.
Price and Love both enter the matchup undefeated in their NFL careers, which means one former Fighting Irish running back will leave with his first loss. Even so, the idea of the two lining up against each other clearly has Price fired up. He said earlier in the week that he’s eager to face his former teammate, and he stressed that their competition at Notre Dame was never hostile.
"I competed. We competed together," Price said about his time with Notre Dame and playing with Jeremiyah Love.
"We said, 'OK, going into this game, who's going to have more touchdowns?' And sometimes we would try to match each other's touchdowns.
It just worked out that way, but it was never like a 'I hope you don't do as good' or something like that. It was never that way because if he didn't do well, and all of a sudden, I took the starting job, then what good did that make me?
I wanted to prove to myself that I'm just as good or better."
Price also said the two have already talked about marking the occasion in some way. A jersey swap sounds likely, and he said there’s a good chance the moment gets captured on film because Notre Dame fans would want to see it.
The timing works out nicely for the Irish faithful, too, because both rookies showed enough in Week 1 to suggest they’re ready for bigger workloads. Price’s Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots in their Super Bowl rematch last Wednesday night, 13-10, and he made the most of his touches. He ran 10 times for 52 yards and caught 2 passes for 6 yards, though George Holani’s 29 yards on 8 carries left some Seahawks fans wanting more for Price.
Love’s Arizona Cardinals rolled past the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, 26-14, and he also made an impact in limited work. He scored his first NFL touchdown while finishing with 11 carries for 41 yards and 2 receptions for 9 yards. Tyler Allgeier led the Cardinals on the ground with 17 carries for 61 yards, but Love was the more efficient of the backs in the rotation.
That’s why Sunday has the feel of more than just a reunion. With both former Notre Dame backs already showing they can handle the jump to the NFL, Price and Love could end up giving fans the kind of familiar showdown they used to put on in South Bend.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Faces An Early Test With New Names In Focus
Notre Dames early schedule has already put it in a familiar but demanding spot, lining up against multiple Big Ten opponents before the season gets too deep. At 2-0, the Fighting Irish have opened with enough momentum to keep attention high, but the next stretch brings a different kind of examination, with Michigan State and Purdue both offering the sort of physical, conference-style test that can expose where a team really stands.
The matchup layers make it especially interesting because Notre Dame is still operating as an independent while effectively measuring itself against Big Ten competition week after week. That means the focus falls not just on the teams record, but on which players can carry the load in these games and which opposing names can swing the tone of the matchup, turning early September into a useful snapshot of where Notre Dames season may be headed. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Has An Early Season Question Fans Can't Ignore
Leonard Moores early-season profile keeps rising in ways that matter beyond the box score. The junior Notre Dame cornerback has already been named to the 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and is a semifinalist for the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy, recognition that reflects the kind of off-field reputation programs like Notre Dame still value as much as on-field production. It is another reminder that the Irish have plenty going right as the season settles in.
On the field, Notre Dames case is just as strong, with the Irish sitting No. 3 in the SP+ ratings and No. 1 on offense after the early stretch of games. Even so, the bigger question fans cannot ignore is whether that profile can hold when the schedule eventually tightens, especially with the program also looking ahead to future marquee matchups like Nebraskas return to the slate in 2032 and 2033, the first meeting between the schools since 2001. For now, the Irish are stacking accomplishments, but the real test still waits down the road. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame May Have Found A Passing Game Difference Maker
Jaden Greathouse is back to full health after the hamstring injury that cut into his 2025 season, and Notre Dame got an immediate glimpse of what that could mean in the passing game. In the season opener against Rice, the wide receiver finished with three catches for 48 yards, a small but encouraging sign that he and quarterback CJ Carr are starting to find a rhythm.
For an offense looking for more consistency through the air, Greathouses return gives the Irish a potential difference maker at the right time. The chemistry is still in the early stages, but both Greathouse and Notre Dame are optimistic about what this season can become if that connection continues to grow. [Read more 🡒]