Notre Dame 37, Pittsburgh 15
-
Not only has Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Loved proved he is a true first-round pick for the NFL Draft. During the 2025 season, Love has shown that he is an elite prospect and one of the best football players in next year’s draft. Love was dominant against Pitt, rolling over the Panthers and providing some changing plays for the Fighting Irish.
In the first quarter, Love made an incredible run, bursting through the line. About five yards downfield, Love made a lightning-fast spin move to make a safety whiff, and then Love exploded down the field for a 56-yard touchdown. Shortly later, Love had an excellent blitz protection block to keep his quarterback clean and give him time to find a completion downfield. Later in the second half, Love shook a tackle in the backfield and then darted to the perimeter to get a 22-yard gain on a fourth-and-2. Love totaled 147 yards on 23 carries with a touchdown. He also caught two passes for 20 yards.
For the NFL, Love looks like a three-down starter who is capable of being a work-horse back like Josh Jacobs or Nick Chubb. Love is a physical downhill runner with excellent vision, patience, and cutting ability. Love shows serious power to pick up yards after contact and is capable of creating on his own. In the passing game, Love is pro-ready and very impressive. He runs good routes from a variety of places, has soft hands, and is athletic to adjust to the ball. Love has also blocked extremely well in pass protection. As long as he can stay healthy, Love looks like a high first-round pick for the 2026 NFL Draft.
-
Pitt linebacker Kyle Louis was a tremendous playmaker for the Panthers in 2024, and while he has not been as prolific, Louis has provided some big plays in 2025 as well. Louis is a fast and instinctive linebacker who is very good in pass coverage. However, Louis is undersized, and that leads to concerns about him holding up as a run defender in the NFL. With a physical offensive line and an elite back in Jeremiyah Love, this tape was a good gauge for Louis regarding the pro level.
Overall, this was a disappointing game as Louis had some lowlights and was very quiet. Throughout the game, Louis was having issues getting off blocks and was being kept away from the ball. In the first half, Louis had a bad missed tackle on Jadarian Price. Early in the third quarter, on a fourth-and-2, Louis fired into the backfield and had a bead on Love for a tackle for a loss and big turnover on downs for his team, but Louis missed the tackle, and Love was able to explode to the perimeter to get 22 yards. This tape made Louis look more like a mid-rounder rather than an early-round prospect. He could be a rotational linebacker to help in pass coverage, but may not have the size and strength to be a three-down starter.
-
Notre Dame wide receiver Malachi Fields had an excellent game and produced a tape that is going to impress pro evaluators. The Clemson transfer made some incredible catches to help produce critical points that put away Pitt. In the first half, Fields made one of the best catches of the season when he ran a post down the middle of the field and made a leaping one-handed catch over a defensive back for a 35-yard gain. Later on, Fields made a leaping back shoulder catch along the sideline of the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown. In the third quarter, Fields got open on an out route to haul in his second touchdown from eight yards out. Fields finished with seven catches for 99 yards and two scores.
Fields could be a nice day-two prospect that ends up competing to be a No. 2 or 3 receiver in the NFL. The 6-foot-4 wideout is tall, long, and has a large catch radius thanks to his leaping ability. Fields high points the ball well, and he uses his large frame to box out defenders. He runs well enough for his size, and Fields could be a nice weapon in the red zone. This tape could help him to be a day-two pick next April.
