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Jeremiah Love has already moved on from Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff snub.
The Fighting Irish running back, a finalist to win the Heisman Trophy, got some tough news Sunday afternoon when Notre Dame learned it would not compete for a national championship.
The Miami Hurricanes leapfrogged Notre Dame to make the playoffs, while the James Madison Dukes and Tulane Green Wave were also considered more worthy of a spot ahead of the Fighting Irish. And despite losing in the SEC championship game, Alabama also made the playoffs.
Notre Dame running back Jeremiah Love (4) runs the ball into the end zone for a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA football game against Syracuse at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana on November 22, 2025. (Michael Clubb/South Bend Tribune/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
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But the pain for Love, and perhaps many others on the team, was short-lived.
“I’m already over it, to be honest. I’m kind of on the next steps. I’m on to the next thing. I’m preparing for the next opportunity I have to play football,” Love said in an interview with Pakinomist Digital ahead of the Heisman Trophy ceremony. “So I’m not going to dwell on the past because it’s the past. It’s already happened, can’t change it. No need to dwell on it. It’s just how I live my life. A lot of other guys, I feel like they’re similar in that respect.”
In the aftermath, Notre Dame decided it would not play in a bowl game, much to the dismay of old-school college football fans, as bowl games continue to lose their luster.
However, the decision was inevitable, Love said.
Notre Dame running back Jeremiah Love (4) is tackled by Stanford safety Charlie Eckhardt (39) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., on Nov. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vasquez)
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“It was a whole-team decision. And the reason we made that decision was because, I mean, we felt as a team that we weren’t going to do this 2025 football team justice by going out there and playing in that bowl game, because it wasn’t going to be a good representation of how special our team really was, because a lot of players were going to opt out and a lot of players were saying they’re leaving,” Love said. “So if we were going to the bowl game, it wasn’t going to be the 2025 team that was that special. So it was a full team decision. Everybody agreed.”
Love was part of the “special” team with a special season of its own. He rushed for 1,372 yards on 199 carries, 18 of which resulted in touchdowns. Throughout the season, Love wore Samsung Galaxy wearables to track his training, recovery, sleep and everything else necessary to be a star on the court.
“It’s helped me a lot. It’s been great. Samsung has helped me tremendously in just improving my life and then also just making sure I’m keeping track of things that are important to my performance. So it’s been great.”
Love has yet to officially declare for the NFL Draft, although he likely will soon. If and when he does, he hopes Samsung will still be around to help him at the next level.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiah Love (4) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the first half of a game between the Indiana Hoosiers and Notre Dame in the first round of the College Football Playoff in South Bend, Indiana, on Dec. 20, 2024. (IMAGIN)
“They’ve helped me tremendously through this season. So I hope in the future we can continue this partnership. I love my ring, my watch, all these things that have become special to my daily life. So it’s a part of me now.”
