Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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36 APRIL/MAY 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY JACK SOBLE T he biggest mistake draft prospects of his caliber commit, Jeremiyah Love explained, is making the league and thinking their job is done. Love made sure to ask every team he met with in the pre-draft process — and there were quite a few of them — what it takes to have success in the NFL. What have they seen players do that allows them to succeed and, in turn, what have they seen players do that makes them fail? As it turns out, Love learned, many players hear their names called on draft night and say, "I made it." "No, you haven't made it," Love said at Notre Dame's pro day March 24. "You haven't made it past your first contract. You have got to get to that. Me, I want to get to my third contract." Since he arrived at Notre Dame as a four-star running back (a hilariously low ranking in hindsight), Love has mixed confidence and self-awareness like few others can. He believes he's the best at what he does, but he also knows he can always get better. He's well aware that the modern running back must be versatile, so he crafted his game to the point where he could be an elite wide receiver if he wanted. When Love tells you what his plan is for his NFL career, believe him. "I tell NFL teams that I want to be the best of all time," Love said. "I want to be a Hall of Famer. I want to be a Pro Bowler, very first year. I want to win Of- fensive Rookie of the Year. "I tell them all these goals that I want to have, but obviously these are goals. Goals are goals, but you got to have a process for how you're going to achieve those things. I'll go every season and set out little goals, like per week, what I can do to make sure I'm reaching the bigger goal that I have. "I told all these teams this, and it's a lot of big talk. But I have a process and I have a plan for how I'm going to get that done." Love is projected to beat the odds for what a running back can accomplish on draft day, because he was much more than a running back in three seasons at Notre Dame. NFL teams are constantly hunt- ing explosive plays — driving down the field in short increments is hard — and the 6-foot, 212-pound star out of St. Louis can generate them as well as anyone. Currently, many expect Love to be- come a Tennessee Titan at No. 4 overall. The New York Giants at No. 5 and the Washington Commanders at No. 7 are two other possible destinations. The New Orleans Saints at No. 8 and the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 9 were both considered likely landing spots early in the pre-draft process, but they handed out the two largest contracts to running backs in free agency — a clear sign that they don't expect Love to be available when they're on the clock. If the Titans do draft Love with the fourth pick, he'll become the highest- drafted Notre Dame player since quar- terback Rick Mirer went second overall in 1993. If the Giants draft him fifth, he'll tie offensive tackle Joe Alt (2024) for that title. That honor would mean a lot to Love, because of what Notre Dame means to him. He earned it with his prolific col- lege career, which included 433 carries for 2,882 yards and 36 rushing touch- downs, alongside 63 receptions for 594 yards and 6 touchdowns. His 3,476 ca- reer yards from scrimmage rank sev- enth in program history, and his 42 total touchdowns rank third. CHOOSE LOVE Jeremiyah Love could become Notre Dame's highest-drafted player since 1993, but in his mind that is just the beginning Love is locked in as a top-10 NFL Draft pick, and could end up in the top five. If he comes off the board before pick No. 5, he will be the highest-drafted Irish player since QB Rick Mirer was selected No. 2 overall in 1993. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER