Jeremiyah Love reveals he was ‘very, very close’ to attending Michigan instead of Notre Dame

When Jeremiyah Love committed to Notre Dame in 2022, he was one of the top running back recruits in the country. As National Signing Day drew closer, though, he recalled another option emerging.

Love told Rich Eisen he nearly chose to attend Michigan instead of Notre Dame. He remembered being “very, very close” to picking the Wolverines, who hosted him for two visits during the 2023 recruiting cycle.

Of course, he stuck with Notre Dame and put together a decorated career in South Bend, setting the program’s single-season touchdown record in 2025. But Love remembered just how close he was to picking Michigan instead.

“I was committed to Notre Dame, and it came to signing day. I was literally this close to going to Michigan,” Love said Friday on The Rich Eisen Show. “But I was like, ‘I’m committed to Notre Dame. I’m just going to stick with them. Even though I kind of want to go to Michigan. I kind of want to go there. I’m just going to stick it out with Notre Dame. I’m going to stick with my first choice.’”

When he made his final call, though, Love didn’t call anyone at Michigan. In fact, he said one of the reasons he wound up staying true to Notre Dame was a lack of connections at Michigan. He recalled telling fellow St. Louis (Mo.) native Fredrick Moore about that since no one talked to him after signing with the Fighting Irish.

“I ain’t talk to nobody,” Love said. “But my homeboy, Fredrick Moore, he went to Michigan. I was kind of like gonna go with him. And I remember it very vividly. I’m telling him, ‘I’m trying to go to Michigan. I’m trying to connect with y’all’s coaches. But nobody’s hitting me up. I don’t have any connection with anybody.’

“That’s probably why I didn’t go. Nobody contacted me.”

After he signed with Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame in 2023, Jeremiyah Love sat behind Audric Estime on the depth chart as a true freshman. However, he took the lead back role in 2024 and broke out for 1,125 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. That includes a memorable 98-yard touchdown run against Indiana in the first round of the College Football Playoff en route to a national title game berth.

Then, Love cemented himself as the top running back in the 2026 NFL Draft when he ran for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns to become a Heisman Trophy finalist. He will now get ready to work out at the NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday.