Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Giants eyeing Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love as their next Saquon Barkley ahead of 2026 NFL Draft?

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Mar 12, 2026 11:52 AM ET

The New York Giants are set to meet with Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love, who could be their next Saquon Barkley.

Per Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com, the Giants have scheduled a top-30 visit with Love on Thursday. Teams can host up to 30 prospects before the 2026 NFL Draft (scheduled April 23-25 in Pittsburgh) to get to know them better.

How does Jeremiyah Love stack up against Saquon Barkley?

The Giants own the No. 5 pick in the 2026 draft. Teams usually refrain from using a pick on a RB that high because they can often find another productive one later. Buffalo Bills RB James Cook III, who led the league in rushing yards in 2025 (1,621 yards in 17 games), was picked No. 63 in 2022.

However, teams make an exception for rare backs like Barkley, whom the Giants selected No. 2 overall in 2018. Love may fall into that category.

In a piece published before the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, NFL Media draft expert Daniel Jeremiah told Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer his predraft grade on Love is slightly lower than Barkley's but similar to San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey's. Perhaps he reconsidered that after Love wowed in Indianapolis.

The Notre Dame star ran a faster 40-yard dash (4.36) than Barkley (4.4) did in 2018. The Eagles star is bigger (6-foot, 233 pounds) than Love (6-foot, 212 pounds), but that doesn't take away from his impressive time.

.@JeremiyahLove vs. @saquon

2026 NFL Combine on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/Aza5bRaFtu
— NFL (@NFL) February 28, 2026

They also produced at the collegiate level. Love ran for 2,882 yards and 36 touchdowns on 433 carries in three seasons at Notre Dame, while Barkley ran for 3,843 yards and 43 TDs on 671 carries in three seasons with the Penn State Nittany Lions. The Fighting Irish standout shared a backfield with RB Jadarian Price (5-foot-11, 203 pounds), explaining why he had fewer carries.

The Giants already have RB Cam Skattebo, who rushed for 410 yards in eight games during his rookie season before suffering a season-ending ankle injury. The former Arizona State Sun Devils star has said he's made solid progress since.

Adding Love could give the Giants a one-two punch at RB, which new head coach John Harbaugh would welcome. The coach favors a run-heavy scheme. The Baltimore Ravens ranked fifth in the league in rushing attempts per game (29.8) in Harbaugh's final season with the team in 2025.

Whether Love will be available when the Giants are on the clock remains to be seen. The Tennessee Titans hosted the RB on a top-30 visit on March 5. Tennessee owns pick No. 4.

However, if Love is available for New York, it shouldn't pass on him. He could be the Giants' next Barkley.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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