Notre Dame junior Jeremiyah Love, a Heisman Trophy finalist and the Doak Walker Award winner as the top running back in college football, declared for the 2026 NFL Draft on Tuesday.

Love, 6-foot, 214-pounder, is projected to be the first running back selected and a potential first-round pick. He made the announcement on social media.

“I will take the many experiences Notre Dame has given me and apply those lessons learned as I move onto the next level,” Love said in a social media post. “I look forward to representing my family and Notre Dame in the NFL.”

Notre Dame (10-2) was the first team left out of the College Football Playoff and decided not to play a bowl game, ending the season for Love and his team.

The All-America running back is the first Fighting Irish player to win the Doak Walker Award. He also was a finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year and the Maxwell Award.

He finished third in the Heisman voting behind Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia.

Love had 199 carries for 1,372 yards (fourth in the country) and 18 touchdowns (third) as well as 27 receptions for 280 yards and three TDs. He averaged 6.9 yards per carry. His 21 total touchdowns in a single season broke the Notre Dame record set by Jerome Bettis in 1991 (20).

–Field Level Media