Riley Leonard needed a new team. Notre Dame needed a new quarterback. It was the perfect match — and a mutually beneficial partnership as Leonard led the Fighting Irish to the National Championship Game in his lone season in South Bend.
Leonard has been one of the many bright spots on a Notre Dame team that wasn’t expected to compete for a national championship when the season began. Yet he dominated under center for the Fighting Irish.
In the regular season, he threw for 2,092 yards and 16 touchdowns, leading the Irish to an 11-1 record. Their lone loss was to Northern Illinois in a shocking defeat, which was a week after Notre Dame took down Texas A&M in Week 1.
Fun fact, Notre Dame’s game against the Aggies was Leonard against his former coach, Mike Elko, who coached Leonard at Duke.
But as good as Leonard’s been as a passer this season, his run game has been the reason the Fighting Irish have won the last 13 games. Leonard had 721 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. He’s the team’s second-leading rusher behind Jeremiyah Love.
It wasn’t by chance Leonard landed in the portal. Here’s why Leonard was ready to move on from Duke.
How Riley Leonard, Notre Dame became the perfect match
Marcus Freeman was no stranger to dipping in the transfer portal for a replacement quarterback. The Fighting Irish needed a new signal caller after Sam Hartman, who transferred in from Wake Forest, exhausted all of his eligibility.
Leonard landing in South Bend was the perfect marriage. Leonard needed a bigger stage to prove he was a talented quarterback and the Irish needed a veteran to lead their offense. While Leonard hasn’t been an elite passer, his running ability is what’s made him such a great addition.
Throughout the Irish’s playoff run, they’ve turned to Leonard in short-yardage situations and at the goal line. They’ve also designed runs for him to keep defenses on edge. Because of his running threat, the Irish have been able to knock off two Big Ten teams and an SEC team in the postseason.
Let's also be clear that the money didn't hurt. According to Pete Nakos of On3 ($), the Fighting Irish and Leonard ultimately worked out a $1.5 million NIL deal for the quarterback to come to South Bend.
The biggest reason that might have impacted Leonard’s arrival at Notre Dame was the addition of former LSU offensive coordinator, Mike Denbrock, according to a Sports Illustrated story. Denbrock coached Jayden Daniels and he became the No. 2 pick in the NFL draft.
Notre Dame hasn’t produced an NFL-caliber quarterback since Brady Quinn. Leonard arrived hoping Denbrock could turn him into one. And while he’s not one of the top prospects in the upcoming draft, a national championship could go a long way to improving his stock.