Cardinals Select Notre Dame Running Back Jeremiyah Love at No. 3 Overall

Jason Dayee
Apr. 23, 2026; Pittsburgh — Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love on the red carpet before the NFL Draft at Point State Park.

The 2026 NFL Draft featured a rare premium placed on the running back position. The Arizona Cardinals made a massive statement by selecting Notre Dame standout Jeremiyah Love with the No. 3 overall pick. This move makes Love the highest drafted running back since the New York Giants took Saquon Barkley second overall in 2018. He is now tied with Trent Richardson for the fourth earliest running back selection in the 21st century, sitting just behind Barkley, Reggie Bush, and Ronnie Brown.

The selection brings a historic financial commitment from the Arizona front office. Based on the NFL rookie wage scale, Love is projected to sign a four year contract worth $50.5 million. This lucrative deal immediately places him among the highest paid running backs in the league by average annual value, bypassing several established veterans. The guaranteed money involved highlights exactly how much the Cardinals value his unique blend of speed, power, and versatility.

From St. Louis Daredevil to Elite Prospect

The foundation for this draft night triumph was built in University City, Missouri. Love was known as a highly energetic child who had a hard time sitting still. His father, Jason, served as his first football coach when Love was just six years old. Jason often described his son as a little daredevil who would scale the furniture and swing from doorways in their home. That boundless childhood energy eventually found a constructive outlet in competitive sports.

Love excelled in basketball and track, winning the Missouri state championship in the 100 meter dash as a high school sophomore with a time of 10.76 seconds. However, football quickly became his true calling. At Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis, he led his team to consecutive state championships in 2021 and 2022. His senior season yielded more than 1,600 yards from scrimmage and 27 total touchdowns, earning him Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year honors. He emerged as a highly recruited four star prospect, ultimately choosing to play for Notre Dame.

Evolution at Notre Dame

Love arrives in Arizona with a pristine collegiate resume. During his final two seasons with the Fighting Irish, he amassed 3,014 scrimmage yards and set school records with 35 rushing touchdowns. He won the Doak Walker Award as the top running back in the FBS and was named a unanimous All American in 2025.

Standing at 6 foot and weighing 212 pounds, Love possesses game breaking speed. He clocked a 4.36 second 40 yard dash at the combine, but scouts consistently point to his lateral agility and vision as his true separating factors. He operates with a low center of gravity, allowing him to absorb contact and break tackles with ease.

Behind those physical tools is a player driven by an intense desire for perfection and a deep sense of accountability. Notre Dame running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider witnessed this firsthand during a padded practice last season. Love, exhausted from running routes with the wide receivers, was thrust into a third and short drill. He fumbled the ball, and Seider reprimanded him sharply. Instead of making excuses, Love embraced the criticism. He told his coach that he needed to be held accountable so the rest of the running back room would know that everyone is open to being coached.

A Selfless Star Ready for the NFL

This level of maturity defines Love as a professional. He is highly organized, a trait that dates back to his high school days when he kept his bedroom completely spotless. On the field, he is a visual learner who processes complex defensive fronts instantly. He studies the game obsessively, constantly asking his coaches how to refine his footwork or anticipate unblocked defenders.

Love also brings a selfless, team oriented mentality to the Cardinals. During his final home game at Notre Dame, the coaching staff wanted to feed him the ball to boost his Heisman Trophy campaign. After breaking a 45 yard touchdown run on his first carry, Love asked the coaches to give the next series to his backfield partner, Jadarian Price, who was celebrating Senior Day. Price scored a 58 yard touchdown shortly after. Love celebrated just as hard for his teammate as he did for himself, prioritizing their brotherhood over his own personal statistics.

Now, Love joins an Arizona offense led by head coach Mike LaFleur. The Cardinals struggled heavily on the ground last season, finishing 31st in rushing yards and 27th in explosive rush rate. Pairing Love with veteran James Conner provides Arizona with a dynamic backfield duo. With NFL defenses increasingly utilizing light boxes, Love has the explosive traits to force teams to bring a safety down, opening up the entire offense. For Jeremiyah Love, the journey from a restless kid in Missouri to the No. 3 pick in the NFL Draft is complete. The real work begins on Sundays.

Originally from Staten Island, New York, I’ve spent most of my adult life in Arizona, where my passion for sports continues to grow. A proud University of Arizona graduate, I developed my journalism skills covering mostly football, basketball, and a few other sports for the Daily Wildcat and UATV-3.

Now covering the Kansas City Chiefs for Total Apex Sports, I aim to tell authentic stories that highlight the journeys, triumphs, and challenges of athletes today. I’m passionate about connecting with readers through honest and insightful coverage that reflects my deep love for the game.