Jeremiyah Love corrected himself and rephrased his answer.

“It was kind of just me taking a risk,” Love said. “Well, not a risk, but taking a chance.”

On Saturday, the 2023 class four-star running back bet on Notre Dame and announced his commitment to the Irish. The 6-foot-1, 188-pound senior from Christian Brothers College High in St. Louis chose the Irish after fielding high interest from and strongly considering Texas A&M, Michigan, Oregon, Georgia and others.

Each school presented Love with exceptional opportunities on and off the field. However, he identified Notre Dame as the school that presented the best odds for his success.

“Just looking at the history, Notre Dame has a great fan base,” he told Inside ND Sports. “They’re known to have great academics. They have a good reputation of putting running backs in the NFL. … They do a good job of building players, sending them to the NFL and getting them ready for the next level. And they've got a great reputation for players succeeding in the classroom, too.”

Love is the highest Rivals-ranked running back to choose the Irish since the late Greg Bryant in the 2013 class. Bryant, who hailed from Delray Beach (Fla.) American Heritage High, was a five-star and the No. 19 overall player and No. 3 running back in his class.

Rivals ranks Love as the No. 51 overall player, No. 3 running back and No. 2 player in Missouri. He joins Notre Dame’s No. 2 recruiting class by Rivals’ team-rankings formula, a group that now has 23 players committed. Among them are two other four-star running backs: Dylan Edwards and Jayden Limar.

When making his decision, Love was not fazed by the Irish already having two running backs committed in the class. Especially after he saw the trio of Logan Diggs, Audric Estimé and Chris Tyree each exceed 100 all-purpose yards against North Carolina.

“They’ve done a good job of communicating that,” he said. “Notre Dame does a good job at rotating their running backs. … They said they want to get the ball in my hands. So, I’ll be playing receiver and running back. Not just strictly running back. But (wide) receiver, slot (receiver), all that type of stuff too. Special teams.

“All of those things just to give me the ball.”

Notre Dame offered Love a scholarship on Feb. 28, following the likes of Oregon, Tennessee, Michigan, Arkansas, Stanford, Alabama and LSU. Most of his 35 scholarship offers came during or after a standout junior season. In 2021, Love finished four yards shy of 1,000 on 95 carries (10.5 yards per carry) and scored 14 touchdowns.

He also won a state championship as a sophomore in Missouri’s biggest classification with a 100-meter dash of 10.76 seconds.

"The first thing that jumps out, when you see him in person is his size," Rivals national analyst Clint Cosgrove said. "This is a big running back, and he doesn't necessarily look that big on film. But when you get up to him in person, he is built up. He's rocked up. Then, you throw the speed in the equation — when you get a guy that size with a low center of gravity, who can flat-out fly — we're talking sub 4.4 (40-yard dash) — that is an incredible combination.

"He also has great ball skills. He's dynamic with the ball in his hands and really good in space. Notre Dame talked to him about being a weapon, so he might wind up at receiver, and he can line up at running back. The versatility really stands out. The one thing that he brings to the table is he's the homerun threat. You give him a hole, and he hits it. You're at the one-yard line, he's the type of guy who can take it 99 and score a touchdown."

Off the field, Love excels as well. He has a 4.0 GPA and complements Notre Dame’s dedication to academic excellence. His Notre Dame visit on March 17 was one of the few recruiting trips he took in the winter and early spring because of his preparation for taking the ACT in early April.

“If everything goes wrong with football, I know that I’ll be set up pretty well with academics,” he said. “I’ll get my degree and be set up after that. I know Notre Dame can do that for me. That’s one of the reasons why I’m taking the chance on them.

“One day, football might end. Notre Dame will provide me with good academics. … Notre Dame’s academics and having a Notre Dame degree will set me up for life.”

Love joins fellow St. Louis product Christian Gray as players from Missouri to commit to Notre Dame this recruiting cycle. They'll follow fellow Missourians and defensive linemen Tyson Ford (St. Louis) and Gabriel Rubio (St. Peters) as players on the Notre Dame roster from the state. The early signing period for 2023 recruits is on Dec. 21.

The No. 1 running back in the Midwest, Love, is also motivated to follow the path of former Irish running back Kyren Williams. Williams is also from St. Louis (St. John Vianney High) and developed into a fifth-round NFL Draft choice during his career with the Irish.

Though Deland McCullough was not on the Irish coaching staff during Williams’ tenure, the Irish running backs coach's résumé helped solidify Love’s decision. Most notably, McCullough coached the Kansas City Chiefs running backs during their 2019 Super Bowl season.

Love was the first running back to gain an offer from Notre Dame since McCullough joined the coaching staff.

“He thinks me and him can do great things, and he sees potential in me,” Love said. “And I see great things in him. He’s produced a lot of good running backs. I’m taking a chance on him, too.”

Head coach Marcus Freeman also played a part in Love choosing the Irish. However, the four-star running back noted that he is just getting started as a head coach.

“I’m taking a big chance on him, too,” Love said. “I haven’t really got to see too much of him, but I’m taking a chance on him. I think that he’s going to be a great head coach. He’s real passionate about what he does. That’s one of the things that got me. He is real passionate. He shows that he cares. He’s down-to-earth.”

Because of his high school's requirements, Love will not enroll early at Notre Dame. Instead, he will join the program in June. And when he does, Love bets he’ll feel right at home.

“Notre Dame is elite,” he said. “The small population fits my environment right now. I think that I will go there, and I will fit in pretty good. … It’s a place where I can focus and perfect my craft.”

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