SOUTH BEND —Notre Dame football’s double-shot backfield of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price made history at the 2026 NFL Draft.
Both members of the potent tandem went in the first round on Thursday night, April 23, in Pittsburgh. Love was drafted third overall by the Arizona Cardinals, and Price joined him in the NFC West when the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks took him with the 32nd and final pick of the opening round.
Love and Price are the first pairing from the same school to be the first two running backs drafted in the same year in the common draft era (since 1967).
They also become just the sixth running back duo from the same team taken in the first round of the same draft since 1967. It has happened just twice in nearly four decades: 2008 with Arkansas’ Darren McFadden (fourth) and Felix Jones (22nd), and 2025 with Auburn’s Ronnie Brown (second) and Carnell Williams (fifth).
Before that, the only instances were 1987 with Texas A&M’s Roger Vick (21st) and Rod Bernstine (24th), 1986 with Florida’s John L. Williams (15th) and Neal Anderson (27th), and 1971 with Ohio State’s John Brockington (ninth) and Leo Hayden (24th).
In Seattle, Price joins former Notre Dame teammate Rylie Mills, a defensive tackle taken in last year’s fifth round, and safety Julian Love, who had an interception to close out Seattle’s 29-13 win over the New England Patriots.
Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III rushed for 135 yards on 27 carries, but he left as a free agent to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs on a three-year deal with $28.7 million in guaranteed money.
Price, a dangerous kick returner as well, projects to make $16.8 million on his fully guaranteed four-year deal that includes a signing bonus of $8.7 million. Had he dropped out of the first round to pick No. 33, his projected signing bonus would have dropped by about $2.5 million.
According to spotrac.com, Love’s rookie contract should guarantee him $53 million over his first four seasons, including a $35 million signing bonus. Both are NFL records at the position for a running back on his first contract.
A Denison, Texas product, Price missed the entire 2022 season with a torn Achilles but made it all the way back.
He and Love combined for 69 touchdowns over the past three seasons for the Irish via rushing, receiving, and returning. Their rookie deals project at a combined $69.8 million.
Along with former Notre Dame captain Kyren Williams, coming off three straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, former Irish backs figure to dominate the proceedings in the four-team division.
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame RB duo makes history as first-round picks at 2026 NFL Draft
Reporting by Mike Berardino, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
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