Three Notre Dame players make ESPN way-too-early All-American teams
Notre Dame placed three players on ESPN’s way-too-early All-American teams, which college football reporter Chris Low published Monday morning.
Rising junior running back Jeremiyah Love and rising sophomore Leonard Moore made the first team, while rising senior guard Billy Schrauth made the second team. The Irish are tied with Penn State and Alabama with two first-team representatives each, while Clemson and Ohio State each had three.
Starting with Love, he projects as one of the two best running backs in the country after an electric breakout 2024-25 season.
“Love epitomized Notre Dame’s march to the national championship game last season,” Low wrote. “He weathered injuries, especially in the postseason, but never quit fighting. With an offseason to return to health, Love is poised to be one of the most productive running backs in college football.
“He scored 19 touchdowns a year ago and was a nightmare to tackle, whether he was running through defenders, dashing past them or hurdling over them.”
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Love compiled 1,125 rushing yards on 163 carries, good for 6.9 yards per attempt, and 237 receiving yards on 28 receptions.
Love is unlikely to receive as many touches as a All-American running back usually would, because both he and Notre Dame favor a timeshare with rising senior Jadarian Price. But his performance in the College Football Playoff in front of a national audience may give him the notoriety he needs to earn first-team honors anyway with another phenomenal season.
Moore, meanwhile, was one of the nation’s best cornerbacks in 2024 as just a true freshman.
“Moore is a prime example of why Notre Dame should continue to thrive under Marcus Freeman, who has been able to stockpile promising young talent,” Low wrote. “Moore was the FWAA Freshman Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 and started in 10 games. He has tremendous speed and the instincts to go with it. He led Notre Dame with 11 pass breakups and had two interceptions and two forced fumbles.”
Moore was among the highest-graded run defense corners according to Pro Football Focus at 86.5. His coverage grade was even better at 87.3. He allowed just 25 receptions on 55 targets this season for 286 yards (5.2 yards per attempt), and like Love, he stepped up his game in the CFP.
Schrauth was a player Freeman believed would have a monster year in his first full season as a starter, but that was derailed by a Week 3 ankle injury that knocked him out until Week 9. Schrauth’s strong finish to the 2024-25 season, though, has earned him All-American hype entering his senior year.
For ESPN’s full way-too-early All-American teams, click here.
