Imagine a college football star, a running back with heart and hustle, whose Heisman Trophy campaign wasn’t just about stats but about storytelling. That’s the tale of Jeremiyah Love and Notre Dame’s bold strategy to make him a household name. But here’s where it gets controversial: Can a player’s journey to the Heisman rely more on moments and marketing than on mind-blowing numbers? And this is the part most people miss: Notre Dame’s campaign wasn’t just about winning the trophy—it was about redefining what it means to be a Heisman contender.
In the quiet confines of a tiny interview room next to Stanford Stadium, Love found himself in an uncharacteristic moment of hesitation. Fresh off a late-night blowout against the Cardinal, where a rib injury limited him to just 66 yards, he couldn’t help but wonder: Was this the end of his Heisman dream? Even though voting hadn’t opened yet, the long-shot candidate felt the weight of the moment. When asked if he thought his dream had slipped away unnoticed, Love’s response was telling. ‘Yeah… I mean, not really,’ he admitted. ‘I wasn’t really focused on it. I just wanted the best thing for my team.’
But behind the scenes, Notre Dame’s communications team was anything but hesitant. They were all-in on Love’s campaign, employing a strategy that blended creativity, persistence, and a touch of Hollywood magic. Before kickoff, they placed Heisman materials on reporters’ seats, complete with metallic green heart graphics and conversation heart candies stamped with ‘Love on top.’ A week earlier, glossy printouts of Love’s credentials adorned every press box seat. And who could forget the video featuring Nicholas Sparks, the bestselling author and Notre Dame alum, drawing parallels between Love’s story and the timeless romance of The Notebook?
Here’s the bold truth: Love’s stats—199 carries, 1,372 yards, and 21 touchdowns—weren’t Heisman-worthy by traditional standards. But Notre Dame wasn’t playing by the old rules. They knew it would take more than numbers to make Love a finalist, the school’s first since Manti Te’o in 2012. Their strategy? Highlight Love’s self-awareness, growth, and electrifying moments on the field—hurdles, spins, and touchdowns that left fans in awe.
The mastermind behind this campaign was Katy Lonergan, Notre Dame’s associate athletics director. With six seasons under her belt, Lonergan had seen it all, from Deuce McAllister’s injury-plagued Heisman push at Ole Miss to Eli Manning’s quiet rise to third place. For Love, she took a page from Caleb Williams’ playbook at USC: let the player’s performance speak for itself, then be ready to amplify the moment. ‘Their philosophy was let him do all the work, let other people call him a Heisman candidate, then be ready for the moment,’ Lonergan explained. ‘That’s the approach we took.’
Love himself was deeply involved, insisting on incorporating the color green and his heart-hands celebration into the campaign. ‘He wrote on my dry-erase board, and I still have everything he wrote up there,’ Lonergan recalled. ‘In true Jeremiyah fashion, I was thinking bullet points, and he wrote in complete sentences.’
Notre Dame’s efforts paid off in moments like Love’s 228-yard performance against USC, a Notre Dame Stadium record. Two weeks later, his Heisman pose after a 94-yard touchdown run at Boston College sealed the deal. By mid-November, Love had surged to second place in The Athletic’s Heisman poll, trailing only Fernando Mendoza. Media appearances on shows like The Pat McAfee Show and SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt further cemented his status as a national figure.
But here’s the controversial question: Did Notre Dame’s aggressive marketing overshadow Love’s on-field achievements? Some argue that campaigns like these dilute the Heisman’s integrity, turning it into a popularity contest. Others say it’s a necessary part of modern college football. What do you think? Is Notre Dame’s approach fair, or does it cross a line?
Despite a disappointing season finale, where Love’s injury-shortened performance was overshadowed by Mendoza’s Big Ten championship heroics, Notre Dame’s campaign was undeniably successful. Love became the program’s first Doak Walker Award winner and a unanimous All-American. Statistically, his season wasn’t record-breaking, but spiritually, it left an indelible mark.
As Lonergan put it, ‘It’s really hard to measure any of it. Him getting invited to New York, I felt like we played our role.’ Whether Love wins the Heisman or not, one thing is clear: Notre Dame’s campaign redefined what it means to chase college football’s highest honor. And that, perhaps, is the greatest victory of all. What’s your take? Did Notre Dame go too far, or did they simply play the game smarter than everyone else?
