Central Plains FFA Chapter

02/28 16:50 CST Notre Dame, Penn St. running back tandems share stage once again at NFL's scouting combine Notre Dame, Penn St. running back tandems share stage once again at NFL's scouting combine By MICHAEL MAROT AP Sports Writer INDIANAPOLIS (AP) --- Former Notre Dame running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price rekindled some fond memories at this week's NFL's scouting combine. They shared a room --- just as they used to when they were college teammates. Only here, one of college football's best backfield duos is no longer working in tandem. Instead, they're here to showcase their own skills and increase their prospects heading into April's NFL draft. "I'm going to go out there and be myself, no matter where I go, no matter when my name's called, I'll be Jeremiah Love," he said before Saturday's workouts in Indianapolis. "But it's a great honor, seeing if people recognize me, and I plan to go out and prove myself right, prove everybody else right as well." There certainly is a mutual respect and admiration between Love and Price for what they accomplished together over the past three seasons. Love rushed for nearly 3,000 yards, finishing No. 7 on Notre Dame's career rushing list despite only 29 starts overall and 71 carries as a freshman. He broke the program's single-season record by scoring 21 total touchdowns in 2025, became the first player in Irish history with two TD runs of 90 or more yards and was third in last year's Heisman Trophy balloting. Price, on the other hand, was more than just capable of providing a second punch. While he excelled when giving Love a break, opposing defenses were never that fortunate. Price still managed to rush for nearly 1,700 yards and 21 scores and became the first Notre Dame player to have two or more kickoff returns of 100 or more yards. The result: Both earned All-American honors last season and they're generally ranked as the two top running backs in this year's draft class. "Almost every coach and interview I had the past couple days," Price said when asked how many teams have inquired about his play on special teams. "I told them all the same (thing), I love special teams and I attack it like I attack offense. I'm willing to do anything when it comes to special teams." Love and Price aren't the only highly regarded running backs being reunited in Indy. When Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton walked onto Penn State's campus in 2022, they were billed as one of the nation's top freshman backfields. While they exceeded the hype personally, joining Franco Harris and Lydell Mitchell as the only Nittany Lions teammates to top 2,000 career yards rushing, they didn't achieve the lofty expectations of winning a national championship or even a Big Ten title. But even in a league where running backs are often pushed down the draft board, Allen and Singleton are still ranked among the top 10 in this year's class. And with some good pre-draft workouts, it's still possible they could jump back into the top five --- spots they occupied not so long ago. Regardless of where they go, though, former Penn State quarterback Drew Allar believes both would be value picks. "I definitely think they're the two most complete backs in the country," Allar said, noting Allen finished his career as the school's career leader in all-purpose yards while Singleton set the program's career mark for total TDs. "I am excited for them and to see them compete and grow as we move forward in our journeys together. And whoever gets those two guys are going to get guys that are dedicated to the team, very hard workers, and obviously really talented football players." All four still have something to prove, though. While Love drew raves for his trademark hurdles and answered some questions about his ability to catch passes in 2025, he believes his blocking skills have been overlooked. Price and Allen still need to show they can carry heavier workloads against bigger, stronger opponents in the NFL and Singleton must prove he is healthy after rolling up to the podium Friday with his broken right foot. "Obviously, I'm upset that I'm not doing anything right now," Singleton said. "At the same time, I'm still grateful to be out here." Singleton hopes to shed his walking boot next week and plans to work out during pro day festivities to give scouts a first-hand glimpse of what he can do. But for one weekend, it felt like old times for this running back quartet. "The biggest thing that makes me feel comfortable is we were roommates during this process, and we were roommates at Notre Dame on the road," Price said, referring to Love. "So it just feels like an away game for us." ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL