Jeremiyah Love is taking the first step toward joining the Kansas City Chiefs, aiming to pair with Patrick Mahomes and make an immediate impact in the NFL with his explosive skill set, as the Notre Dame running back’s production speaks for itself.
In 12 games in the 2025 NCAA College Football season, he tallied nine carries of 20-plus yards, 39 rushes of 10-plus yards, and averaged 6.9 yards per attempt, far outpacing what the Chiefs managed as a team in similar situations last season.
In 17 games, Kansas City had only three runs over 20 yards, with one by a running back. Quarterback Mahomes and wide receiver Xavier Worthy had the others, highlighting their struggles when it comes to running the ball.
And Love‘s ability to consistently break big plays makes him a potential game-changer in the same backfield, and he confirms he has met formally with Chiefs personnel at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
“It would mean everything to be paired with a great quarterback like him,” Love told ESPN‘s Laura Rutledge. “I feel like he’s one of the best quarterbacks to come through the game. He’s still got a lot to prove. But hey, it’s Patrick Mahomes. I’d love to play with him.”
Assuming mutual interest, Love could seamlessly complement Mahomes‘ style. He emphasized one often-overlooked part of his game: pass protection – something that could be key for a struggling offensive line.
“I mean, nobody’s really beat me in blocking,” Love continued. “Like, I pretty much dominated everybody just trying to rush me. I feel like that’s underrated.”
Could the Chiefs skip over Love in the 2026 NFL Draft?
Field Yates, formerly a scout with Kansas City, also praised Love‘s versatility on NFL Live Friday, highlighting his receiving ability, saying he could line up as a slot wideout – offering a dual threat capability.
He also noted his explosiveness by pointing out that Love leads all FBS running backs in big-play metrics with consecutive 90-plus-yard runs. It’s little surprise he is regarded as the best running back in this draft.
And the Chiefs have been monitoring him for 18 months, but now the team must decide whether he’s worth selecting over premium positions like edge rusher. This is something General Manager Brett Veach alluded to.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s a great question,” Veach said. “And I think there’s the old-school. I mean, you’re always going to O-line, D-line, those positional values are there. You see them in free agency.
“But at the same time, I mean, arguably, some of the best players in this draft are maybe at non-premium positions, when you look at the Ohio State linebacker, the Notre Dame running back, the safety from Ohio State.
“So, those are really, really good players. It’s hard to find fault with their tape. Really solid. But again, some of those more premium positions, interior D-line, edge rushers, they’re hard to find.”
The Chiefs may also be eyeing future options at tight end by focusing attention on the Vanderbilt Commodores‘ Eli Stowers, who emerged as a standout at the 2026 NFL Combine by showing elite athleticism, good jumping and good speed.
In college, Stowers recorded 111 receptions for 1,407 yards and nine touchdowns in two seasons, earning 2025 All-American and John Mackey Award honors.
He’s more of a move/flex player than a traditional inline blocker, a skill set reminiscent of Kelce‘s versatility and Diego Pavia, quarterback at the Commodores, noted that Stowers and he often ran plays adapted from the Chiefs‘ system.
There, Stowers emulated Kelce‘s role, something that could make him a more seamless fit at Kansas City, especially if the 36-year-old tight end opts to retire instead of coming back for one more year.
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