Jeremiyah Love is making noise in the NFL before even taking the field

It’s rare that a running back in the NFL draft makes as much noise as Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love did this year, but it was for good reason. 

A talent like Love doesn’t come along for every rookie class.

Now, Love is already being talked about and making noise as someone who could beat out Fernando Mendoza for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

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Ben Solak of ESPN released a roundup of his thoughts on the various picks from the draft, and in it, he names Love a possible Offensive Rookie of the Year winner.

“Love seems like an obvious favorite for Rookie of the Year, and I get it from a talent perspective,” he stated. “He is the earliest drafted running back since Barkley, who is the most recent running back winner.”

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He adds: “Barkley led the league in yards from scrimmage as a rookie, and while Love is unlikely to be that productive, he does have the receiving chops to be a dynamic three-down player.”

Why It Matters: Love Could Beat Out Mendoza for Offensive ROTY

There are a lot of expectations surrounding both of these players going into their rookie seasons, but the pressure is on the hardest for Mendoza. 

The Raiders are still in rebuild mode, and if he doesn’t pull off some stellar numbers, he could fall in the race to land Rookie of the Years.

Then, there’s Love. He’s an energetic fireball of a talent, and if Mendoza comes up short, he’ll be a favorite to land the honor. It’s all about how the first season goes and, of course, whether the Cardinals surround him with the right people.

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This story was originally published May 3, 2026 at 5:41 PM.