When the Pittsburgh Steelers are at their best, the run game is not a complementary piece. It is the foundation. The franchise’s most successful eras have always featured a back who could impose physicality, control tempo, and wear defenses down over four quarters. That identity has been missing in recent seasons. Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love has the skill set and the mindset to bring it back.
Love is not a product of volume alone. He is a highly efficient, technically sound runner whose game is rooted in vision, patience, and controlled violence. At Notre Dame, Love consistently showed elite processing at the line of scrimmage. He understands leverage, presses fronts with discipline, and waits for second level defenders to declare before exploding through creases. That patience is critical in NFL run schemes that rely on timing rather than improvisation.
Physically, Love is built to survive AFC North football. He runs behind his pads, absorbs contact without losing balance, and finishes runs with forward momentum. His contact balance stands out on film. Arm tackles rarely bring him down, and he routinely gains extra yards after initial contact. These are drive sustaining plays that keep offenses on schedule and shorten games.
Notre Dame star Jeremiyah Love would make a lot of sense for the Pittsburgh Steelers at Pick 21
What separates Love from many college backs entering the draft is his adaptability. Notre Dame asked him to run inside zone, outside zone, counter, power, and split flow concepts, and Love executed all of them with comfort. He is decisive on downhill runs yet patient on zone reads, showing an advanced understanding of blocking schemes and defensive flow. That versatility makes him a natural fit in Pittsburgh’s evolving offense regardless of coordinator or scheme adjustments.
Love brings legitimate explosive ability while maintaining his physical identity. He has the burst to hit the hole quickly and the long speed to punish poor pursuit angles. Defenses that overcommit to stopping the run quickly find themselves vulnerable to chunk plays, as Love consistently turns well blocked runs into gains of 15 yards or more. He does not dance in the backfield. He accelerates through it.
In the passing game, Love is more than functional. He tracks the ball naturally, catches cleanly away from his body, and transitions upfield without hesitation. While Notre Dame did not feature him as a high volume receiver, his skill set projects well to third down usage at the NFL level. Just as important, Love is reliable in pass protection. His willingness to step up and absorb contact will earn immediate trust from coaches and quarterbacks.
The Jerome Bettis comparison is not about body type. It is about role and identity. Bettis was the engine of Steeler football, setting a physical tone and allowing the rest of the offense to operate on its terms. Love brings that same potential modernized for today’s game. He may not be 250 pounds, but he plays with the same intent to punish defenses, control games, and close out wins.
Drafting Jeremiyah Love at pick No. 21 would be more than adding talent. It would be a philosophical statement. It would signal that Pittsburgh is committed to winning in December, thriving in physical games, and dictating terms rather than reacting. Jeremiyah Love is not just a Notre Dame running back entering the NFL. He is Steeler football waiting to return.