Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love has the wheels to turn the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine into his Saquon Barkley moment.
Love, 20, has a projected 40-yard dash time in the 4.3s and electric athleticism, the kind of traits that could inspire a storybook showing in Indianapolis this week.
Love had 40 total touchdowns as the featured back for the Fighting Irish and is No. 2 on the Field Level Media Top 100 list of prospects in the 2026 draft.
Big-play speed is a major selling point for Love in the draft. He might not be the No. 2 overall pick — where Barkley went to the Giants — but he’s very much in play as a top-10 projection because of the number of teams in that range with a need at the position.
The Arizona Cardinals (third overall), Tennessee Titans (fourth), New York Giants (fifth), Washington Commanders (seventh), New Orleans Saints (eighth) and Kansas City Chiefs (ninth) all have a case for taking Love if they believe he can be a key ingredient for their offense.
Barkley weighed in at 233 pounds and ran a 4.4 40-yard dash with a 41-inch vertical and 29 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press at the 2018 combine.
Love’s 40 time and vertical could beat Barkley, and his 10-yard split (1.54 for Barkley) could be blazing fast.
One of the recurring comparisons we’re hearing for Love is Darren McFadden, the Arkansas blazer who ran 4.33 in 2008.
Virginia Tech running back Bhayshul Tuten was the fastest running back at the 2025 combine (4.32). He was selected 104th overall by the Jaguars.
–Field Level Media
