Jeremiyah Love details 'enjoyable' pre-draft process, excitement to attend 2026 NFL Draft

When the 2026 NFL Draft gets underway Thursday night, Jeremiyah Love will be among the prospects in the green room in Pittsburgh. That means he’ll get to give commissioner Roger Goodell the customary hug, though he might put his own twist on the moment.

“I’m excited to go out there and walk the stage and dap up the commissioner. Maybe make him do the heart or whatever,” Love told On3 via Zoom on behalf of PayPal. “Yeah, I’m excited.”

Considered one of the top prospects on the board, Love is coming off a standout career at Notre Dame. He set the Fighting Irish’s program record for total touchdowns in a single season in 2025, surpassing Jerome Bettis’ mark. Love had 18 rushing touchdowns and three receiving scores during his junior campaign.

His ability as both a rusher and a receiver have stood out to NFL teams throughout the pre-draft process. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Love as his No. 2 overall player behind projected top pick Fernando Mendoza on his final Big Board, as did NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah.

In the months leading up to the draft, Love only took a handful of visits. But he also made it a point to learn names and build connections as he gets ready to take the next step in his football journey.

“Meeting all the different people of the organizations was a lot,” Love said. “There’s a lot of important people in those organizations and people’s names you want to know. I would say memorizing people’s names and putting names to faces is something that has been a little bit of a challenge, but at the end of the day, it’s a blessing. I’m glad to be in this position where I go to the Bengals and meet the owner. Not many people get to do that.

“This whole process has been enjoyable. Like I said, I’ve just been taking everything one step at a time and staying in the moment.”

Draft Day will be family affair for Jeremiyah Love

Thursday night, Jeremiyah Love won’t be flying solo at the 2026 NFL Draft. He’ll have his family with him in Pittsburgh as they all wait for a phone call from whichever team selects him.

Chatter continues to grow about when exactly Love will go off the board. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Arizona Cardinals could be a team to watch if they stay at No. 3 overall, but he said the sense is Love likely won’t be there past No. 7 when the Washington Commanders pick.

Regardless, Love will have company while waiting to find out where he’ll play next season. He’ll get to share the landmark moment with his family.

“Everybody’s going to be excited for the big moment – to get that one call that will change the trajectory of my family’s financials forever,” Love said. “And the legacy, you can say, too. The legacy’s going to change a little bit.”

Even a week before the draft, Love confirmed he picked out his suit. While he didn’t get into details, he said it would be “elegant,” though he’s going to be wearing dress shoes for the first time in a long time. As far as the journey he’s taken the last few months, he’s soaking it all in.

“Honestly, it’s been a great ride,” Love said. “I’ve been doing a lot of traveling, a lot of talking to people I’ve never talked to before. But at the end of the day, it’s been very enjoyable. I’m blessed to be in this position to be able to enter my name into the NFL Draft and then … I’ll be drafted to whatever team. It’s a huge blessing.

“I’m taking this whole process one step at a time. Enjoying the moment because this only happens one time. I’m taking it all in and hoping for the best.”