The 2026 NFL Draft day is finally upon us. College football’s hottest coach, Marcus Freeman, joined veteran coach Nick Saban on the panel for ESPN’s pre-draft coverage. When Saban, the man synonymous with being stringent and “the process,” found out Freeman’s diabolical schedule, the Notre Dame head coach actually managed to make the veteran coach look like the calmer of the two. The former Bama coach was lost for words.

It all started when the conversation shifted from the draft picks on stage to Freeman’s own travel plans for the rest of the night. Freeman was in town specifically to support his star running back, Jeremiyah Love, arguably the top running back of this draft class. While most coaches might stay late to celebrate a first-round selection with the player and their family, Freeman told the College GameDay crew that he had to rush back to South Bend immediately.

“We have practice tomorrow morning, we have meetings at 6:45, and I told him, if you want me here, I’ll be here,” Marcus Freeman said of his conversation with Jeremiyah Love. “And because that’s what I believe as a head coach, you’ve got to be what your player needs. And he wanted me to be around, and without hesitation, I’m going to be here to support him. I told him to enjoy this day, because tomorrow you’ve got to wake up and go back to work. You’ve got to do the things that gave you a chance to get drafted tonight. So enjoy this moment. It’s like a win. Enjoy it, and tomorrow morning, get back to work and start trying to be that person you are.”

That was the detail that made the moment land. Freeman was not talking about discipline in a vague coach-speak way. He was leaving one of the biggest nights for his player and still heading back to a schedule that would start again before sunrise.

Saban’s reaction was priceless. He basically had this “you’ve got to be kidding me” look on his face. He couldn’t help but roast Freeman right there on live TV, quipping that for years, where pretty much everyone complained about how “hard” he was to work for at Alabama.

“They always tell me how hard I was to work for, but we never had a meeting at 6:45 after the draft,” Nick Saban laughed.

Freeman laughed it off and gave a really practical reason for the early start. He explained to Saban and the crew that at a place like Notre Dame, the term ‘student-athlete’ actually means something. He told Saban, “We got class,” explaining that he had to squeeze the meeting in before the players’ academic day started so they wouldn’t miss a single lecture. No wonder a degree from Notre Dame is still considered one of the best in the country. The real question is, where will Jeremiyah Love get drafted?

Jeremiyah Love’s next home

Jeremiyah Love is currently the hottest name in the 2026 NFL Draft, and almost every expert has him ranked as the number one running back available. After absolutely crushing Jerome Bettis’s single-season touchdown record, any analysts is with an ounce of common sense has the former Irish superstar at the top 10 overall pick.

Most mock drafts have him going as high as No. 3 overall to the Arizona Cardinals. Some analysts, including Mel Kiper Jr., have ranked him as high as the #2 overall prospect on their Big Board. If he slips past Arizona, the Tennessee Titans (No. 4) and the New York Giants (No. 5) are considered “locks” to take him. It would be considered a major “shock” if he fell past the Washington Commanders at No. 7.

The reason everybody is high on Jeremiyah Love is that he is as good a draft prospect as we have seen in the last 5 years. He finished his college career with basically zero fumbles, which is crazy considering how much he touched the ball. Even Nick Saban has been singing his praises on TV, calling him a “game-changer” who is ready to start in the NFL on the very first day. Within the next 30 minutes, we’ll have a clearer idea about his future.