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NFL Scouting Combine 2026: Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love outruns Saquon Barkley's 40-yard dash time

Screenshot 2023-07-18 at 4.54.37 PMby: Riley Gates02/28/26Riley_Gates

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is not onlyone of the most impressive running backs in the NFL Draft, but also one of the best players available at any position. On Saturday, he showed why.

The running backs in the draft ran the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, where Love posted a 4.36. It was the second-fastest time among running backs, barely behind Arkansas’ Mike Washington at 4.33. But the NFL Network showed just how fast Love ran on camera after.

The broadcast took Love’s run and put it up against Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley‘s run from the 2018 combine. Love edged out Barkley, who ran a 4.40 that day. You can see the clip below.

The 40-yard dash does not indicate NFL success or failure, but it typically does show who the best athletes in the sport are and sets a high bar of expectation. So if Love’s career goes anything like Barkley’s, he will be a special back. In eight years, Barkley has a Super Bowl ring, has been the Offensive Player of the Year, Offensive Rookie of the Year, a First Team All-Pro pick and a three-time Pro Bowler. He also led the NFL in rushing in 2024.

Love brings a stacked resume with him to the NFL. Rushing for just shy of 3,000 yards in three years at Notre Dame, Love had a stellar 2025 season. He totaled 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground. He won the Doak Walker Award and was a Unanimous All-American pick.

Love will go down as one of the best to ever do it in a Notre Dame uniform. But as he revealed earlier this week, it nearly didn’t go down that way.

“I was committed to Notre Dame, and it came to signing day. I was literally this close to going to Michigan,” Love said Friday on The Rich Eisen Show. “But I was like, ‘I’m committed to Notre Dame. I’m just going to stick with them. Even though I kind of want to go to Michigan. I kind of want to go there. I’m just going to stick it out with Notre Dame. I’m going to stick with my first choice.’”