Jan. 15, 2026, 10:25 a.m. ET

It is never too early to begin watching prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft. General manager Jason Licht has made the draft the key cog in the machine for the Bucs in terms of roster building and transforming the team itself. 

We are going to be covering every position in the draft, not all of them will be the Bucs‘ needs necessarily. But of course, anything is possible for a team, and if not, they will be drafted by a division rival that the Bucs see twice a year. 

For this report, we will be discussing a running back. While the team has Bucky Irving on the roster, they do have looming free agents in Rachaad White and Sean Tucker. It is a sneaky need for the team, but one that can be easily addressed in the draft. 

With that in mind, here is our report on Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love.

Information

School: Notre Dame

Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!

Conference: Independent

Height/Weight: 6-0, 206 lbs.

Age when Drafted: 20

Previous Schools: None

Background4-Star RecruitPlayed basketball and track in High SchoolMissouri Gatorade Player of the YearUnder Armour All-AmericanDoak Walker Award Winner in 2025Heisman Trophy Finalist in 2025Notable Stats

Carries: 433

Rushing Yards: 2.882

Receptions: 63

Receiving Yards: 594

Career Touches: 496

Total Touchdowns: 42

Notable PFF Numbers

PFF Rushing Grade: 93.7

Yards After Contact Per Carry: 4.5

Missed Tackles Forced: 56

Runs of 10+ Yards: 39

Breakaway Run %: 52.9%

SkillsContact balanceExcellent visionUnderrated ability as a wide receiverPatient in waiting for the defense to tip its handExplosive burstPlayer Summary

Jeremiyah Love is not only the best running back in this draft class, but he is among the best players overall. His vision, paired with his contact balance and power, makes him a homerun threat on every touch of the ball he gets. He can be an RB1 for a team on day one, and if he were drafted in the top ten, it would be warranted. Not to be forgotten, his receiving ability is also noteworthy as his gas tank from the first quarter to the fourth allows him to make plays at a moment’s notice. There is a lot to like about Love and his skillset, and the NFL will take notice of it all.