Jeremiyah Love has been named to the Maxwell Award Watch List

Jeremiyah Love, junior running back for Notre Dame, has garnered noteworthy attention during the preseason by earning a spot on the 2025 Maxwell Award Watch List, an honor that highlights him as one of college football’s most outstanding players before the season begins (One Foot Down). This prestigious recognition acknowledges his elite performance during the 2024 season and underscores his potential to contend for one of the sport’s top individual accolades.

Last season, Love delivered a standout campaign. He rushed for 1,125 yards, scoring 17 rushing touchdowns while averaging an impressive 6.9 yards per carry, placing him ninth nationally among players with at least 100 carries (One Foot Down). Remarkably, he had a rushing touchdown in each of Notre Dame’s first 13 games, setting a new school record for consecutive games with a touchdown to begin a season (One Foot Down). Beyond his rushing contributions, Love added two receiving touchdowns, demonstrating versatility as a scoring threat in both facets of the offense.

Notre Dame’s offense leaned heavily on its ground game in 2024, and Love played a central role. The Fighting Irish boasted one of the nation’s best rushing units, ranking fourth among Power 4 teams in yards per carry and sixth overall in total rushing offense (One Foot Down). Love, along with teammates Jadarian Price and Riley Leonard, formed the only FBS trio in 2024 to each surpass 700 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns (One Foot Down). The team accumulated 45 rushing touchdowns, leading all Power 4 programs and placing third across all FBS schools (One Foot Down).

Historic context further elevates Love’s recognition. He is already named a Preseason Walter Camp All-American, and his Maxwell nod places him in the company of six former Notre Dame players who have won the Maxwell Award — TE Leon Hart (1949), HB John Lattner (1952 and 1953), LB Jim Lynch (1966), DE Ross Browner (1977), QB Brady Quinn (2006), and LB Manti Te’o (2012) (One Foot Down). Should Love go on to win, he would become the first Irish running back to achieve that honor since Lattner.

In many years, the Maxwell Award skews toward quarterbacks and skill-position standouts with standout statistical seasons. The 2025 watch list, however, reflects broader diversity across positions, including running backs like Love (Athlon Sports). This season’s pool of 80 candidates features many of the top names in college football, but Love’s inclusion stands out given his position and the historic nature of his performance last season.

Delving further into his 2024 metrics, Love’s 6.9 yards per carry tied with Josh Adams’ mark in 2017 for second-highest single-season average among 1,000-yard rushers in Notre Dame history, second only to Reggie Brooks’ 8.0 yards per carry in 1992 (One Foot Down). That statistic underscores not just volume but elite efficiency. His ability to explode into long runs—recording touchdown bursts of 48, 64, 68, 76, and even 98 yards—showcased both his explosiveness and big-play impact (Athlon Sports).

Over the span of two seasons in South Bend, Love has already compiled 1,510 rushing yards on 234 carries, and he has caught 36 passes for 314 receiving yards, scoring a total of 21 touchdowns in just 17 starts (29 games) (Athlon Sports). That level of production at an early stage of his collegiate career projects him as a potentially impactful candidate for postseason honors and future NFL attention, cementing his stature among elite backs in the country.

Notre Dame’s forthcoming season shapes up as pivotal. With fall camp kicking off—and the Irish opening their 2025 campaign on August 31 at Miami (FL)—Love’s preseason Maxwell inclusion signals just how central he is to the team’s aspirations (https://www.wndu.com). With an experienced offensive line returning and a first‑time starting quarterback under center, the Irish will likely rely on Love’s consistency and explosiveness to anchor their offense (Athlon Sports).

Examining the broader Maxwell Watch List context, Notre Dame’s representation reflects the depth of talent across conferences. Alongside Love, Riley Leonard—a quarterback for Notre Dame—is also listed among the candidates for 2025, joining players such as Jalen Milroe, Carson Beck, Kaidon Salter, and others previously named watch list members in 2024 (umpsports.com). The Maxwell Club tends to release watch lists annually in late July or early August, as they did in July 2024 and July 2025 (maxwellfootballclub.org).

One clear indicator of the award’s history is that running backs sometimes emerge as winners, though quarterbacks frequently dominate. For instance, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty captured the award in 2024—the first running back to do so since Alabama’s Derrick Henry in 2015 (Athlon Sports). Therefore, Love’s inclusion may reflect a broader recognition that backs can contend, especially when their statistical output and consistency parallel or exceed those of high-profile quarterbacks.

It is worthwhile to contextualize Love’s trajectory within Notre Dame’s historical Maxwell pedigree. The Fighting Irish have produced Maxwell winners spanning multiple positions and eras, but none recently at running back. Leon Hart was a tight end in 1949; Lattner dominated in the early 1950s; Lynch, Browner, Quinn, and Te’o all represented different positions and decades. Love now has an opportunity to join that storied tradition while carving out a singular place as possibly the first running back from his university in decades to win the award (https://www.wndu.com).

As the season progresses, semifinalists are typically announced in mid-November, with finalists revealed later in the month and winners declared in early December at ceremonies such as the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show (umpsports.com). Love will need to sustain or exceed the excellence of his 2024 production to remain onscreen, as emerging stars from other schools will garner attention as well.

Notre Dame’s offensive line continuity and coaching staff confidence in Love as a focal point will be vital. Given his durability and the ability to find the end zone every week last season, Love offers both reliability and explosiveness. As defenses scheme to stop him, his receivers and quarterbacks will have opportunities as well—if defenses overcommit to contain him, it could open up the aerial attack and other offensive facets.

Statistically speaking, running backs who sustain rushing efficiency over a 200-carry threshold while improving yardage totals and maintaining touchdown streaks tend to draw postseason recognition. Should Love approach or exceed 1,200 rushing yards again—while preserving or exceeding his 6.9 yards per carry—he would bolster his MVP candidacy.

Additionally, durability and availability matter. Love’s ability to score in every regular-season game establishes a baseline of reliability that voters appreciate. Should he also contribute key plays in high-stakes matchups—such as college playoffs or rivalry games—voters often weigh clutch performance heavily. Maintaining health and showing consistency in all facets—rushing, receiving, pass protection—will further his All-America and Maxwell pursuit.

On a broader level, the Maxwell Award seeks to honor not just statistical leaders but true all-around contributions and standout players in college football. The watch list represents players across conferences and positions. Inclusion on such a list is an honor that combines preseason expectations with prior season excellence. For Love, it signals national recognition of his impact and potential heading into his junior year.

Critically, Love must navigate competition from the many quarterbacks and standout skill players listed. In 2025, other top-tier candidates from Power 4 schools—some returning semifinalists from prior seasons—will compete. Historically, quarterbacks often win, though running backs can break through with dominant seasons. The performance of Love’s teammates, the team’s success, Notre Dame’s schedule strength, and national prominence will all affect visibility.

In sum, Jeremiyah Love’s inclusion on the 2025 Maxwell Award Watch List marks a significant milestone in his collegiate career. It reflects both his exceptional 2024 season and expectations for further excellence in 2025. His 1,125 rushing yards, 17 rushing touchdowns, every-game scoring streak, and high yards‑per‑carry average set him apart. When combined with Notre Dame’s strong rushing attack and storied Maxwell history, Love is positioned to emerge as a leading national candidate. The recognition is not just an accolade—it’s a statement of his standing among the nation’s elite college football players as he heads into a crucial season.

As the season unfolds, fans and analysts will keep a close eye on Love’s production, consistency, and impact in key games. His journey from watch-list inclusion through potential semifinalist and finalist selection will hinge on maintaining the standards he set last year—and perhaps exceeding them. If he does, Love could be not only Notre Dame’s next running back to earn national honors—but the next Maxwell-winning Irish back in more than six decades.