Notre Dame’s Star Trio Earns First-Team All-America Honors, Highlighting a Dominant 2025 Season
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Notre Dame football just added another chapter to its storied legacy, as three of its standout players - running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, along with cornerback Leonard Moore - have been named 2025 First-Team All-Americans by The Sporting News. That’s no small feat, especially considering The Sporting News is one of just five organizations that factor into consensus and unanimous All-America status.
For Love and Moore, this marks their fourth appearance on a first-team list, having already been recognized by the Associated Press, Walter Camp, and the AFCA. Price, meanwhile, was honored as a first-team specialist for his electrifying work in the return game - and if you’ve watched him field kicks this season, you know exactly why.
Jeremiyah Love: A Season for the Ages
Let’s start with Love, who was nothing short of spectacular in 2025. The junior running back finished third in the nation with 1,652 yards from scrimmage and second with 21 total touchdowns.
That kind of production isn’t just impressive - it’s historic. He was the only player in the country to rank in the top three in scoring, total touchdowns, and scrimmage yards at the end of the regular season.
Love didn’t just rack up stats - he collected hardware, too. He took home the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back and was honored with the Disney Spirit Award, given to college football’s most inspirational figure. He was also a finalist for some of the biggest awards in the sport: the Heisman Trophy, the Walter Camp Player of the Year, and the Maxwell Award.
And if you’re looking for big-play ability, Love had that in spades. He became the first player in Notre Dame history with two career rushing touchdowns of 90-plus yards - a 98-yard sprint in the 2024 College Football Playoff against Indiana and a 94-yard dash at Boston College this fall. Those are the kind of momentum-shifting plays that separate great backs from legendary ones.
Leonard Moore: Lockdown and Lights-Out
On the other side of the ball, Leonard Moore continued his rise as one of the nation’s premier defensive backs. Coming into the season as a consensus preseason All-American after being named the FWAA’s Freshman Defensive Player of the Year in 2024, Moore faced high expectations - and exceeded them.
Despite missing two games due to an ankle injury, Moore still managed to post 31 tackles, seven pass breakups, a forced fumble, and five interceptions - good enough to tie for fifth in the nation. But it wasn’t just about the numbers.
According to Pro Football Focus, Moore earned the highest coverage grade among all Power Four cornerbacks in 2025. That’s elite company.
His performance earned him finalist nods for both the Nagurski Trophy and the Jim Thorpe Award, two of the top honors for defensive players in college football. Whether it was locking down top receivers or showing off his ball skills, Moore was a cornerstone of the Irish defense all season long.
Jadarian Price: Notre Dame’s X-Factor
While Love grabbed headlines as the feature back, Jadarian Price quietly - and efficiently - delivered one of the most versatile seasons in the country. As Notre Dame’s backup running back and primary kick returner, Price showcased a rare blend of power, speed, and vision.
On the ground, he racked up 674 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on 113 carries, while also adding six catches for 87 yards and two receiving scores. But it was on special teams where Price truly made his mark. He returned 12 kickoffs and took two of them the distance - both 100-yard house calls.
By season’s end, Price led the FBS with a 37.5-yard average per kickoff return and was one of just a handful of players with multiple return touchdowns. His 15 total touchdowns ranked ninth nationally, and he etched his name into Notre Dame’s record books, tying for second all-time in kickoff return touchdowns with three. He joins elite company in Tim Brown, Allen Rossum, and CJ Sanders - trailing only Raghib "Rocket" Ismail’s five.
Price also became just the third player in program history to return multiple kickoffs for touchdowns against a single opponent during his career. His dynamic play earned him finalist honors for both the Hornung Award (most versatile player) and the Jet Award (top return specialist). And alongside Love, he’s a finalist for the Pony Express Award, which honors the nation’s top backfield duo.
Battle-Tested: Notre Dame’s Tough 2025 Slate
Notre Dame didn’t just produce All-Americans - they faced them, too. In 2025, the Irish went toe-to-toe with four First-Team All-Americans and six Second-Team selections, underscoring the strength of their schedule.
First-Team Opponents:
- WR Makai Lemon (USC)
- OT Francis Mauigoa (Miami)
- EDGE Rueben Bain Jr.
(Miami)
- EDGE Cashius Howell (Texas A&M)
Second-Team Opponents:
- WR Malachi Toney (Miami)
- DT Landon Robinson (Navy)
- EDGE Akheem Mesidor (Miami)
- LB Caden Fordham (NC State)
- S Bishop Fitzgerald (USC)
- PR KC Concepcion (Texas A&M)
Facing that level of talent week in and week out only adds more weight to what Notre Dame’s stars accomplished this season.
The Takeaway
What Love, Price, and Moore did in 2025 wasn’t just impressive - it was program-defining. They didn’t just put up big numbers; they delivered in big moments, led by example, and helped Notre Dame remain a national powerhouse.
With postseason accolades piling up and their names etched alongside some of the greats in Irish history, this trio gave fans in South Bend a season to remember - and a glimpse of just how bright the future could be.