Welcome back to The McShay Report! Today, I’m breaking down the tape of Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. Heading into the 2025 college season, I have Love ranked as the top player at his position, and I think that he could find himself in the Round 1 conversation next April if he shows improvement in the passing game.
One quick housekeeping note before we dive in: This morning, I’m flying out to the Manning Passing Academy in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Be on the lookout for a newsletter recapping the event next week.
Getty Images/Ringer illustration
Jeremiyah Love Background
Love is listed at 6 feet and 212 pounds. He led his high school to back-to-back state championships in football and also competed in track, winning the Missouri Class 5 state title in the 100-meter with a time of 10.76 seconds. As a true freshman for Notre Dame in 2023, he played in all 13 games (one start) and finished second on the team in rush yards, with 385 (5.4 yards per carry) and one touchdown. He also contributed eight catches for 77 yards and a receiving TD. He took over as the full-time starter in 2024, when he played in all 16 games and finished the season with 163 carries for 1,125 yards (6.9 yards per carry) and 17 scores. He also caught 28 passes for 237 yards and two TDs.
NFL Comp: Some shades of Bijan Robinson (pick slide, burst, and finishing) and Joe Mixon (patience, plus burst and finishing power).
Players are graded on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being best.
Competitiveness (1.5)
A few questions need to be answered when evaluating this trait: How hard does he finish runs? Does he secure the football effectively? What’s his effort level as a run blocker? Does he do some of the little things, including but not limited to contributing on special teams? And what’s his general competitiveness level on tape?
Love the way he drops the hammer at the end of his runs.
Ball security is excellent. Does a great job with ball leverage and covering it up in traffic. The results match the tape: He had zero fumbles on 191 offensive touches in 2024.
I want to see more consistent attention to detail as a blocker (run and pass) in 2025, but he’s shown a lot of positive flashes that indicate his potential.
Vision and Patience (1.5)
Very instinctive runner. Really like the way he tempos his runs, keeps defenders off-balance, and patiently sets up his blocks. Measured yet decisive.
Only slight knock here is that he will occasionally bounce a run outside too early and gets too horizontal with the line of scrimmage, a tactic that won’t be nearly as effective in the NFL.
Agility and Acceleration (1.5)
Totaled 64 missed tackles forced in 2024 and showed an impressive combination of cutting ability, speed, power, and contact balance.
Not an ankle breaker in the open field and doesn’t string multiple moves together with ease like some others. However, he’s very light on his feet for his size and does a masterful job of picking and sliding in the backfield until a crease opens up.
What stands out most is his upfield burst, which is impressive for his frame.
Power and Balance (1.5)
A bit unique in that he has an upright running style but very good contact balance. He accomplishes that with his great run instincts and slippery, crafty style. He does a consistently good job of using subtle shoulder dips and body contortions to shrink the target for defenders. The result is that he breaks loads of arm tackles and bounces off a lot of tacklers who attack him from the side.
What I like most is the way he brings the hammer at the end of his runs. There’s a lot of subtlety, finesse, and craftiness to his runs, but when he knows there’s no more opportunity to create, he drops his pads and drives with great competitiveness and leverage to churn out an extra 3-5 yards.
Passing Game (3)
Pass Protection
A bit up and down as a blocker. Too many instances when he lunges or ignores his technique to swipe or submarine an oncoming rusher.
He actually has more experience blocking for QB Riley Leonard in the run game than he does in pro-style pass pro at this point. And while he’s inconsistent at hitting moving targets at times, he has shown the ability to do so and at times makes impressive contact in space.
But he CAN develop into an effective pass protector in the NFL because he’s light on his feet, he’s well built, and he flashes power at the point of attack. I want to see more attention to detail in this area in 2025.
Receiving
Inconsistent ball skills. Fights it at times, but at other times, he’s shown the ability to pluck on the run and make lunging catches in traffic. Needs more consistency in this area, but he’s capable.
Pretty limited route runner at this point, but I do like how he operates in “scramble rules” situations.
You can’t coach the quickness he has in upfield transitions, especially since he’s a bigger back. His ability to reach his top level from even a stationary catch position jumps out on tape—and it puts a lot of stress on defenses when he releases in the passing game.
From the Scouting Notebook: A bonus inside look at some of the stream-of-consciousness notes I took while watching Love’s film. (These are intentionally unedited!)
Texas A&M
4:05 2Q: Downhill, pick-slide, sharp cut and then grind with balance and power at end of run.
2:00: Missed run block.
3:45 4Q: Beautiful pick-slide run. Stays downhill. No wasted movement. Great vision and multiple bursts. Also bounces off two arm tackles and drags two defenders at end of run (about 18-yd gain).
2:24 4Q: GAME TIED (13-13). Inside handoff for TD! Patience and vision. Slides to hit crease. Breaks two arm tackles and shows burst upfield.
Georgia Tech
13:10 2Q: Inside run. Hurdles defender, then drags tacklers. Impressive contact balance. Takes a 3yd gain and turns it into 10.
12:49 2Q (one play later): Catches ball in flat, breaks tackle and bursts upfield for 13 or so.
4:44 2Q: Catches check-down over the middle, breaks it to the outside with impressive burst. Catches, turns, and FLIES upfield. Outruns multiple defenders to turn the corner. Approx. 25yd gain.
8:45 3Q: Second-level block for QB Leonard on QB draw. Good job getting feet underneath him and solid contact to drive LB off the spot.
13:18 4Q: Fake punt double reverse. Looks like a WR running a reverse. Speed to burst around the edge. Makes DB miss in space. Big gain on fake punt!
10:42 4Q: Sweep left. Follows block with patience and them makes one defender miss (subtle little cutback inside) to walk in for six.
Florida State
5:22 1Q: Nice job working back to QB on scramble rules (out route to an out-and-up, and then back to QB) but was off balance when ball arrived and it was slightly behind him – couldn’t haul it in.
14:06 4Q: Angle route. Ball outside frame but nice job lunging forward and plucking while on the run.
Virginia
14:56 1Q: This is when he’s at his best. Downhill charging. Patient but then explodes through hole. Knocks defender back and drags for additional yards.
13:09 1Q: Sweet cut back outside. Lateral cut before hitting LOS. Then walks it in for six.
14:24 2Q: Gets caught trying to break free from quick-penetrating DL and dances himself into 11-or-so yard loss.
10:39 3Q: Makes two defenders miss and uses speed to turn the LT corner. Picks up seven on a play a lot of backs would have taken a loss.
10:05 3Q: Two slight cuts and burners. DAMN! 77-yd TD run.
Army
14:54 1Q: Patient, stutter-step and burners again! 68-yd TD run.
USC
9:42 1Q: Inside handoff, bounces off a couple defenders, then REFUSES to go down. Turns an eight or nine yd gain into a 19-yd gain and first down. Momentum into body lean, and then leg churn and downright will!
9:17 1Q: No gain here but shows natural ability to pluck away from frame when working away from QB in flat.
4:20 1Q: Quick LT-RT-LT cut sequence in backfield. Hits the hole with juice and then ROOTS the DB at the end of run. WOW.
2:00 2Q: Fourth-and-1. He’s lead blocker on QB lead. Gets in position and gets a shot in on the defender in the hole. BUT GOOD EXAMPLE HERE OF ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND FINISHING (when he doesn’t have the football). Instead of sticking with the block and driving legs on a critical play before half (tied 7-7), he just gets a shot in and doesn’t finish. QB Leonard barely gets 1st down but it could have been a critical failure.
1:11 2Q: Catch in flat, hurdle and takes it down left sideline near the 5 yl.
9:06 3Q: Catches check-down, makes LB then DB miss on consecutive moves. Turns a 3-yd gain into about 17.
*Right knee injury suffered against USC in the regular-season finale for Notre Dame football. 20-day layoff helped him get ready for CFP but he also had a flu vs. IU. Gutted it out but deteriorated as the playoff run continued.
Indiana (CFP)
11:11 1Q: 99-yard TD Sprint! Inside handoff. Takes it off-tackle. Just pure speed – 10.76 100m guy.
*IND doing good job after that run of forcing him to bounce outside. Then rallying to ball.
1:23 3Q: Catches ball as check down. Makes one defender miss and picks up 8 or 9.
UGA (CFP)
4:49 2Q: Inside carry. Gets what’s available but clearly not the same juice!!!
6:59 3Q: Gets in position and makes contact vs. LB Jalon Walker… but doesn’t get set or sink hips and stick with block. Walker goes on to force a throw-away from Leonard.
Penn State (CFP)
15:00 3Q: Comes out early 2nd half and is running with old juice on a few carries. Hits hole HARD here and delivers a blow at end of run on DS.
14:40 3Q: Inside handoff, patience, stutter, and then bursts to 2nd level for 1st down. About a 10-yd gain.
14:10 3Q: Inside handoff, patience waiting for puller, nice cut back to his left and burst upfield for another 1st down.
14:15 4Q: Pure DETERMINATION. Refuses to go down! Gives ND a 4Q lead. (Recovers from almost getting torpedoed in backfield and then drags three defenders to GL before outstretching across the GL.)
Ohio State (CFP title game)
12:55 1Q: Catch in flat, accelerates upfield with a couple subtle moves and lowers shoulder for 7 yd gain. Good tone-setter early.
3:03 3Q: Inside pitch and he walks in for TD. This was all play-design and blocking
14:46 4Q: Another uninspiring job of finishing as a blocker. Gets out in flat and has defender lined up. Gets a shot on DS DOWNS, but FAILS TO LATCH ON AND DRIVE. Downs snaps off the initial contact and drops the ND ball carrier on the SPOT. ***NEED TO SEE IMPROVEMENT IN 2025 in this area.
