For a three-star prospect out of Nazareth Academy in La Grange, Ill. – recruited by the likes of Boston College, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Northwestern – cornerback Julian Love came a long, long way in a very short period of time.

From impressive contributor as a freshman at Notre Dame to Irish record-setter as a sophomore to an early fourth-round draft pick of the New York Giants following a successful junior season, Love created an opportunity for himself early and continued a meteoric rise to the highest level of football.

How does this happen, particularly for a guy who is unlikely to ever consistently crack the 4.5 mark in the 40 at a position where pure speed – or the absence thereof -- often dictates the success/failure of a prospect?

Notre Dame cornerbacks coach Todd Lyght – himself a No. 5 overall pick in the 1991 NFL Draft – oversaw the development of Love, who set a Notre Dame record for passes defensed (23) as a sophomore and finished with 44 in three years, including 40 in his last two.

Lyght knew Love had the potential to be special the first time he saw him.

“Julian was literally the very first player I watched recruiting tape of when I first got here,” said Lyght, who’ll be entering his fifth season coaching defensive backs at his alma mater. “I remember putting on his tape and thinking, ‘Great name for a DB. Julian Love. Let’s see what he’s got.’”

What Lyght saw was an intelligent, versatile, active football player with the ability to impact a game from a variety of different spots on the field.

“What I liked about him coming out of high school was that he played so many positions, offensively and defensively,” Lyght said. “That lets you know right away that, No. 1, he’s smart, and No. 2, the (high school) coach has complete trust in him.

“Then after talking with his coach and finding out what type of person he was, I thought, ‘Okay, he’ll fit in perfectly.’”

Love not only played in all 12 Notre Dame games in 2016, he started eight. He had five tackles in his fourth game in an Irish uniform. He topped that with eight stops in the ninth game against Navy as the Irish utilized his versatility by aligning him at safety against the Midshipmen’s triple-option attack. A week later, he collected the first of five career interceptions against Army.

By 2017, his sophomore year, Love was ready to explode. He jumped a route in Game Four against Michigan State and returned the interception 59 yards for a score. He added two more picks, including a 69-yard score against N.C. State. He had an incredible 14 tackles (10 solo) against Navy.

Love wrapped up a stellar three-year career with the Irish by adding 17 more passes defensed in ‘18. He returned a fumble 42 yards for a score at Virginia Tech. He had a season-high eight tackles at USC to help the Irish complete a 12-0 regular season and claim a spot in the College Football Playoffs.

“I loved his tackling,” said Lyght of his time spent developing Love. “For me, if you have great tacklers on the perimeter, that gives you a chance to be an elite defense because the explosive plays happen outside of the defense. To have great tacklers on the edge, that’s going to give you a chance to compete for national championships and get into the playoffs.

“He was a very physical player. He took pride in it. He was very coachable. He loved to learn and was able to execute at a very high level.”

Lyght noted that Love’s name never appeared on a list of players who had violated a team rule or needed a stern lecture about keeping his focus or head on straight.

“Not one time,” Lyght said.

But what really set Love apart?

“You know what made Julian special?” Lyght said. “You could tell him what you wanted, you could show him how to do it, he could do it a couple of times and then he had it. He didn’t have to rep something a hundred times to get it. That’s what made Julian different.

“I could go to him at halftime and tell him exactly what I wanted him to do and then he had it. He also was very good at sharing information – player to coach – what he saw on the field, what he thought would work…

“His football intelligence was at a higher level. He was definitely a natural football player. Playmaking skills, the ability to play the ball, tackling…He could do it all.”

Lyght has a prediction of “the next Julian Love” on the Irish roster.

“To see somebody’s development go from high school football player to All-American to getting drafted and fulfilling a dream, it was really great to see it all unfold,” said Lyght of Love. “That’s what Troy Pride’s trajectory is going to be this year.”