Jeremiyah Love’s rise from Notre Dame star to No. 3 NFL Draft pick

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Jeremiyah Love, former Notre Dame running back, was selected No. 3 overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the NFL Draft, capping a rapid rise from high school standout to one of the most decorated players in Irish history.

Before Love walked across the draft stage in Pittsburgh, he had his whole family and crew right by his side, wearing a custom suit and diamond jewelry as Cardinals red filled the backdrop. The song “Love Me” by JMSN blasted behind him as he put on his Arizona hat.

“It was kind of surreal,” Love said. “I’ve been putting in a lot of work to get to this point. I’ve been playing since I was 6 years old, so you can imagine the blood, sweat and tears that went into this journey to get here.”

Love’s path to the NFL started long before his name was called Thursday night.

In high school, Love was a multi-sport athlete before football became his clear focus. As a senior, he was named Gatorade Player of the Year and led his team to a state championship. In that title game, Love delivered a dominant performance with five touchdowns and nearly 320 yards.

Programs such as Alabama, Michigan and Oregon pursued him, but Love chose Notre Dame.

After a limited freshman season, Love broke out in 2024 with 17 touchdowns and helped lead the Irish to a national championship appearance at just 19 years old. He followed that with another standout season in 2025, scoring 21 total touchdowns and breaking a school record.

Love also became the first Notre Dame running back to win the Doak Walker Award. He finished his college career as a Heisman contender and unanimous All-American before becoming a top-three NFL Draft pick.

“Arizona is going to be my second home, and Notre Dame is my first,” Love said. “I’m just really excited to get to work in Arizona.”

Love now enters the NFL with massive expectations. He signed a four-year, $50.5 million contract that includes a $35 million signing bonus, making him one of the league’s highest-paid running backs before taking a professional snap. But Love said his goals go beyond football.

“At this level, I’m going to be a pro, so I’m going to make sure that I do my job,” Love said. “But I’m also going to make sure that I’m impacting people outside of sports as well. I feel like that’s my calling.”

Love credited his father as the first person to believe in him and said his family’s sacrifices helped fuel his journey. Now, the former Irish star turns the page to Arizona, where the Cardinals are betting on him to become the face of their future.