Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love opens up on choosing Irish over Alabama despite strong bond with Nick Saban

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love has revealed how close he was to getting signed by Alabama during his recruitment out of high school. Love was heavily recruited by Nick Saban’s Alabama as a high school senior.

A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Love revealed his recruitment experience during an appearance on the latest episode of the Triple Option podcast. He said:

“I liked Alabama when I went there. I had a great visit, and I liked all the coaches. And I loved Coach Saban. I got to sit down and talk with him over some food. He was a great coach and is a great person in general, too, from my first experience too. But Alabama just wasn’t the place for me, even though they had a great coaching staff. The town I thought was really cool; great place to be. Just wasn’t for me. Notre Dame was a better choice for me, but I did like their coaching staff, and I did like Coach Saban.”

Jeremiyah Love’s choice has turned out to be the right choice, both for him and for Notre Dame. While Saban left Alabama, Love currently has a 31-7 record in his Notre Dame career, including a CFP National Championship Game berth in 2024.

Perhaps the highlight of Love’s career was the 98-yard rushing touchdown to give the Irish a win over Indiana in the CFP last season. In just three seasons, the running back has rushed for 2,498 yards and 31 touchdowns, ranking eighth in Notre Dame’s history for rushing yards. Likewise, his 31 touchdowns are fifth in the program’s history.

Jeremiyah Love and expectations for Notre Dame’s current campaign

The Irish started this season on a disappointing note, with back-to-back losses to Miami and Texas A&M. Against all odds, however, the team has managed to rally itself back into CFP contention, with seven straight victories to now sit at 7-2.

Jeremiyah Love has been pivotal to that turnaround, with 988 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns this season. He will no doubt be important for their final drive to secure a CFP berth as the season gradually draws close.

The Irish have three difficult games ahead against Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Stanford. Securing wins in these three games will put the team in pole position for its second straight CFP appearance.

Making the playoffs is just another step, however. The real prize at South Bend would be to bring home the national championship for the first time since 1988.

Edited by Kayode Akinwumi