Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman says Jeremiyah Love isn’t only the best running back in the 2026 NFL draft, but also one of the most talented football players anywhere.
Freeman told Colin Cowherd that Notre Dame’s backup running back last year, Jadarian Price, is the best running back prospect in this draft aside from Love, whom Freeman views as a prospect who transcends the position he plays.
“Great players like Jeremiyah Love make coaches look really good,” Freeman said. “He is a unicorn. He is as talented and gifted an athlete as I’ve ever been around. I think he could be an elite wide receiver. He could be an elite DB. He’s just gifted with a unique skill set, the balance, the ability to jump over you, the ability to run through you. Some of his most impressive runs aren’t the ones you’re going to see on TV. They’re the ones you see on film that he made a four-yard gain that should have been a two-yard loss. . . . Jeremiyah Love might be as good as any player I’ve ever been around.”
Love is expected to be the first running back drafted in the Top 5 since Saquon Barkley went No. 2 overall in 2018.