Jeremiyah Love injury: Mike Denbrock shares promising update on Notre Dame RB ahead of Orange Bowl

As Notre Dame continues its preparation for the Orange Bowl, the biggest question around the program is Jeremiyah Love’s status. The Fighting Irish star running back injured his knee in last week’s Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia, but Mike Denbrock had a promising update on where things stand.

Love went down in the third quarter of Notre Dame’s 23-10 victory in New Orleans and later had a brace on his right knee. He headed to the injury tent, but after briefly working out on the sideline, went back in for further evaluation.

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Speaking with reporters Tuesday, Denbrock said Love practiced the last two days for Notre Dame. That bodes well for his status for Thursday’s College Football Playoff semifinal matchup against Penn State.

Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock says running back Jeremiyah Love (knee) practiced the last two days and should be ready Thursday night. ND has been careful with his workload as he works his way back. pic.twitter.com/sN1TVnn7Qo

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) January 7, 2025

Love is an important part of the Notre Dame offense, which leans heavily on the running game. He entered Thursday’s game with a team-high 1,076 yards and 16 touchdowns. He, along with Riley Leonard and Jadarian Price, have engineered the Fighting Irish’s 11-game winning streak to get them into the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl.

Love only had seven carries against UGA, going for 19 yards. Leonard wound up being Notre Dame’s leading rusher on the afternoon with 80 yards on 14 attempts. From a running back perspective, Price picked up the slack at 10 carries and 37 yards.

Love also put himself in the history books during the first round of the CFP in South Bend. He took a hand-off 98 yards for a touchdown on Notre Dame’s third play from scrimmage against Indiana, marking the longest touchdown run in Playoff history. He did so while working through a knee injury and also dealing with symptoms from the flu.

However, even after his departure in the Sugar Bowl, Love made it clear he plans to play in Thursday’s semifinal matchup in Miami. He didn’t hesitate when asked afterward.

“I asked Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love about his injured knee after the Sugar Bowl,” Tyler Horka of On3’s Blue and Gold said. “He said he tweaked it like he did at USC. Love seemed to recover well after that but he has less time to do so now. Still, asked if he’ll be good for the Orange Bowl, he gave a confident nod. Yes.”