2026 draft darling compared to ex-Rams RB Todd Gurley

The NFL draft is all about pro comparisons, even if they never pan out. But without a frame of reference, it's almost impossible to comprehend how well a player will translate from his production in college to the NFL. ESPN's Aaron Schatz attempted to find apt comparisons for running back prospects ahead of the 2026 NFL draft.

He used his own "BackCAST projection system" to make these statements using "statistics that have correlated with success in the past," such as a good size and speed combination. He compared Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, who some consider to be a top-5 pick, to a "lighter" version of former Rams star Todd Gurley. For what it's worth, the other pro comp for Love was Travis Etienne.

Love is six feet tall and 212 pounds, which is slightly smaller than Gurley's 6-foot-1 and 224-pound frame. Gurley was more successful than Love on the ground on a per-game basis, though. While the Notre Dame product rushed for 2,497 yards rushing and 35 touchdowns in his final two seasons and Gurley only had 1,900 yards and 16 scores, the Georgia star played in 12 fewer games than Love.

So, Gurley's per-game average in his final two collegiate seasons was 118. 8 yards and 1. 18 touchdowns per game, while Love's was 89.