Jeremiyah Love’s NFL Decision Looms as Notre Dame Waits
Notre Dame fans hoping for one more year of Jeremiyah Love in South Bend might want to savor the highlights while they can. While the door isn’t completely closed, it’s swinging heavily toward the NFL. Love hasn’t made anything official just yet, but all signs point to the dynamic running back declaring for the draft in the coming days.
Speaking with reporters while awaiting the results of the Heisman Trophy vote, Love admitted that his decision is close-and that he’s “most likely done.” That’s not the same as a formal announcement, but it’s a strong indicator of where things are headed. He emphasized that he’s still talking things over with his family and expects to make a final call “within the next week or so.”
For Notre Dame, that’s a tough pill to swallow, especially after a season that saw the Irish rattle off 10 straight wins but fall just short of the College Football Playoff. Love was a major reason for that success, and the idea of him returning to chase unfinished business-and maybe even a Heisman of his own-is certainly tempting. But the business side of football looms large here, and it’s hard to ignore the logic behind a jump to the pros.
Love is widely projected as one of the top backs in his draft class, and his NFL stock is about as high as it gets. Perhaps even more important than his talent is his mileage-or lack thereof.
Notre Dame’s running back rotation has been a blessing in disguise for his long-term career. By splitting time with Jadarian Price and others, Love hasn’t had to shoulder a full workhorse load.
That means he’s entering the draft with fresh legs, a rare and valuable trait for a position with a notoriously short shelf life.
In today’s NFL, that matters. Teams are increasingly cautious about investing in backs with heavy college usage. Love, with his explosiveness, vision, and relatively light wear, checks a lot of boxes for franchises looking for an immediate-impact player who still has plenty of tread left.
Could he come back? Sure.
The pull of another run at a national title, the camaraderie in the locker room, and a shot at college football’s most prestigious individual award are all real factors. But when you line those up against the opportunity to be a first-round pick with a clean bill of health and a clear path to an NFL backfield, it’s easy to see why Love is leaning toward the next level.
Notre Dame has given him a platform to showcase his talent without overtaxing his body. Now, it looks like that investment is about to pay off-not just for Love, but for whichever NFL team lands him. Whether he makes it official tomorrow or next week, the writing’s on the wall: Jeremiyah Love is likely headed to the NFL.