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Notre Dame Heisman Finalist Jeremiyah Love Declares for NFL Draft
Notre Dame star running back and Heisman Trophy finalist Jeremiyah Love is forgoing his remaining college eligibility and entering the 2026 NFL draft, he announced on social media.
Love, who won the Doak Walker award this season as college football's top running back, is expected to be one of the top skill position players off the board in April.
"Those who know me best know I'm very direct, so I am going to get straight to the point and share that I have made the decision to declare for the NFL Draft," Love said in a letter posted on social media. "... Making the decision to attend Notre Dame was easy because of the people. From the amazing football support staff, to my fellow students - I could not have picked a better place for me to grow into the man I am today. It is with a wealth of gratitude I will take the many experiences Notre Dame has given me and apply those lessons learned as I move onto the next level. I look forward to representing my family and Notre Dame in the NFL."
Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love announces on Instagram that he’s declaring for the NFL Draft.
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) December 17, 2025
An all-time Irish great, on and off the field. pic.twitter.com/w3PnTw8p4D
In three seasons at Notre Dame, Love carried the ball 433 times for 2,882 yards and 36 touchdowns. This season, he carried the ball 199 times for 1,372 yards and 18 scores and added 27 catches for 280 yards and three additional touchdowns.
Love leaves Notre Dame after becoming the first running back in program history to have 17 or more rushing touchdowns. His 18 rushing touchdowns this season tied Audric Estime in 2023 for most rushing touchdowns in a single season in the history of the program.
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Mike McDaniel is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where he has worked since January 2022. His work has been featured at InsideTheACC.com, SB Nation, FanSided and more. McDaniel hosts the Hokie Hangover Podcast, covering Virginia Tech athletics, as well as Basketball Conference: The ACC Football Podcast. Outside of work, he is a husband and father, and an avid golfer.