The 2026 NFL Draft is still a month away, but scouts have already made their verdict on a running back who is forcing the league to reconsider its devaluation of the position. Jeremiyah Love is the rare back capable of carrying a team's offense, and he's doing what seemed impossible: convincing evaluators that elite runners deserve top-five picks again.

The Notre Dame star is a different breed. In 41 college games, Love rushed for 2,882 yards and 36 touchdowns while adding 63 catches for 594 yards and six more scores. He's a 2025 Doak Walker Award winner who operates as both a workhorse and a big-play specialist with receiver-caliber hands.

His combination of skills has captivated offensive coordinators who see the potential to build an entire scheme around him. While the last running back class of this caliber came in 2005—when Ronnie Brown, Cedric Benson, and Cadillac Williams went second, third, and fifth—Love could become the first back selected in the top 10 since Bijan Robinson in 2023. Todd Gurley (2015), Ezekiel Elliott (2016), Christian McCaffrey (2017), Leonard Fournette (2017), Saquon Barkley (2018), and Robinson represent the rare exceptions in a decade where teams abandoned premium picks for running backs.

The Upside

Love is the complete downhill runner. At 6-foot, 212 pounds, with elite foot speed and body control, he punishes defenders who dare commit too early. His vision allows him to diagnose creases instantly, while his cutting ability lets him slide through congested lanes between the tackles like a shiftier back shouldn't be able to.

The explosiveness is what separates him. A former Missouri Class 5 100-meter sprint champion with a 10.76 time, Love has the speed and agility to turn short carries into house calls. Few defenders match his elusiveness.

As a receiver, Love operates at another level entirely. His soft hands and open-field instincts turn checkdown throws into explosive plays. Whether running flares, swings, or winning isolation matchups downfield, he creates mismatches defensive coordinators cannot easily solve. In a league increasingly built on exploiting mismatches, Love is the kind of multifaceted weapon every offense wants.

The Downside

Evaluators will probe one critical weakness: durability as a true workhorse. Love carried the ball 20-plus times in a game only three times during his college career. While NFL backfields increasingly operate with committee approaches, a top-five pick signals expectations of a significant workload—a test Love hasn't faced.

His pass protection experience is also incomplete. Love has not mastered "double read" concepts in the pocket and must improve his blocking technique against hard-charging linebackers. As Notre Dame's primary playmaker, he spent most snaps focusing on touches, not blitz pickup.

Defensive coordinators will exploit this gap. Creative schemes forcing Love to stay in protection could neutralize his impact. He must refine this aspect or risk opponents scheming around his skills.

The Verdict

Love is the highest-rated running back scouted since Reggie Bush entered the 2006 draft. While Bush dazzled as a runner, receiver, and returner, Love projects as an unstoppable RB1/WR2 hybrid in a dynamic offense.

Some evaluators draw comparisons to Detroit's Jahmyr Gibbs as a big-play scoring machine. The more accurate comp is Jamaal Charles—a weapon capable of grinding out 100-plus yards from scrimmage with consistency.

As April 23 approaches, the buzz will only grow. Teams looking to revolutionize their offense around a single playmaker have found their answer. Love is forcing the NFL to stop treating elite running backs as afterthoughts.