Because duh
Notre Dame running back, Jeremiyah Love, is one of the best players in all of college football. There is no award or accolade that is needed to validate his play on the field — but they’re pretty.
On Monday, we were told the inevitable… Jeremiyah Love is on the Maxwell Award watch list.
From the ND press release:
Love Named To 2025 Maxwell Award Watch List
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Junior running back Jeremiyah Love has earned selection to the 2025 Maxwell Award Watch List. The award is presented annually to the most outstanding player in college football, recognizing excellence on the field and exceptional contributions to the game.
Six Notre Dame players have won the Maxwell Award on seven occasions in its history: 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).
Love, already named a Walter Camp Preseason All-American, comes off a statement 2024 campaign for Notre Dame. He rushed for a touchdown in each of the first 13 games of 2024 and totaled 17 rushing touchdowns, in addition to two receiving touchdowns. Love posted 1,125 rushing yards in 2024, the 21st time an Irish player has broken the 1,000-yard rushing mark in a season.
He averaged 6.9 yards per carry, which ranked ninth nationally in 2024 among players with 100 or more carries, and he tied for second among all single-season 1,000-yard rushers in ND records (Reggie Brooks, 1992, 8.0 – 1,343; Josh Adams, 2017, 6.9 – 1,430).
Love was the only FBS player to score a rushing touchdown in every regular season game that season. He broke the record for the most consecutive games with a rushing touchdown in Notre Dame history with 13 (passing 11 – Wayne Bullock, 1973-74, 17 total rushing TDs during streak). The 13-consecutive games to start a season is also a program record, besting Autry Denson’s season-opening run of 10 in 1998
Notre Dame’s rushing offense ranked No. 4 among the Power 4 in yards per carry (5.66), ranking No. 7 among all FBS teams. The Irish ranked No. 6 among Power 4 teams in rushing offense (210.8).
Love, Jadarian Price and Riley Leonard each had at least 700 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns in 2024, the only FBS team to have a trio accomplish that feat that season. Notre Dame tied for second at the end of the regular season among all FBS teams in rushes of 50 or more yards with seven (by four players, with seven touchdowns).
With 45 rushing touchdowns in 2024, the Irish led all Power 4 teams and ranked third among all FBS programs in rushing touchdowns.