Jeremiyah Love Is the ROY Favorite and Nobody's Betting Against Him

The rookie running back class just got real. According to ESPN's odds tracker, Jeremiyah Love, the third overall pick out of Notre Dame, has emerged as the betting favorite to win NFL Rookie of the Year. And honestly? The numbers back it up.

Love's Got the Odds, But the Competition Is Legit

Love didn't go first or second in this draft. He went third to the Arizona Cardinals. But when you look at who the betting markets actually favor for ROY, Love sits at the top of the class. Behind him, you've got C. Tate, the wide receiver out of Ohio State who went fourth overall, and F. Mendoza, the quarterback from Indiana who was the first overall pick and headed to the Raiders.

Think about that for a second. The consensus top three for Rookie of the Year honors are Love, Tate, and Mendoza. One QB, one WR, one RB. The oddsmakers are saying it's going to be one of these three who steals the show as a rookie, and they're putting their money on Love to do it first.

What This Means for the Rookie Class

Love's path to ROY is straightforward. He's got the talent, the draft capital, and now the betting confidence. Tate and Mendoza are hunting the same trophy, but Love's the one Vegas is actually backing with the shortest odds. In the NFL, when the sharps are betting on a kid to win hardware as a rookie, it usually means they see something special.

The Cardinals took him at three for a reason. Now we get to see if he lives up to the hype in real games, against actual NFL defenses, under the weight of real expectations.

The 2026 season kicks off soon, and Love will get his shot to prove the oddsmakers right.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.